MMDA Penalizes Erring Personnel, Suspends Towing Companies In Continued Effort To Improve
In what resembles a bit of a spring cleaning exercise by the MMDA, the agency has just announced that a number of its personnel have been dismissed or suspended, while action was also taken against a total of six towing companies.
Three MMDA personnel have been dismissed and 23 others were suspended from the agency’s Traffic Discipline Office (TDO) for various irregularities by Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino. The agency stated that the three members of staff who were fired got their marching orders due to extortion, grave misconduct, and gross neglect of duty.
“Let this serve as a serious warning to all our erring personnel. We will continue to eliminate the rotten eggs from our agency,” Tolentino said.
Suspensions ranging from 15 to 90 days were handed out to 23 other members of staff who committed offences such as extortion, questionable issuance of traffic violation receipts, misconduct, grave abuse of authority, insubordination, violation of office rules, and failure to attend monthly formation.
Another 50 received stern warnings or reprimands for the same violations, with three being formally charged.
“I am encouraging the public to continue their vigilance and report to us any illegal activities involving our employees, and at the same time appreciate and commend honest and hardworking employees, which comprise the majority” Tolentino said.
Next to cleaning up their own ranks, the MMDA has also been taking action against some towing companies by revoking the accreditations of two and suspending four more for illegal towing activities.
The accreditations of MCT Towing Services and Mac and Paul Towing & Trucking Services were revoked, while JARZ Towing Services was penalized with 30-days suspension for violation of towing guidelines, threats, and coercions.
Two more, Fighter Towing Services and Metal Gear Towing Services, were suspended for five and ten days respectively for illegal towing and imprudence / negligent acts, while another company, ARD Towing Services, was also suspended for 15 days for illegal towing, harassment, and threats.
“The operations of these accredited towing companies are being closely monitored by our agency to ensure that the public is protected from any kind of abuse,” Tolentino said.
It’s good to see that the agency is trying to improve things, even if much work still remains. The public can always help by reporting unacceptable or illegal behavior, by for example tweeting details to the very active MMDA Twitter account @mmda. The more bad behavior is reported and put out in the open, the more can be done about it, leading to a better situation for everyone involved.
