New Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Danilo Lim will impose a one-strike policy and vowed to dismiss from the service traffic enforcers and other agency employees found to be corrupt, abusive and remiss in their work.
“I would like to know what I am working with, and I would decide if these individuals should stay here [at MMDA] or not,” Lim said Wednesday.
The Commission on Audit reported in 2015 that only a handful of MMDA traffic enforcers are qualified to man and implement traffic rules and regulations on the streets of Metro Manila.
The CoA report further said more than 2,000 traffic enforcers currently deployed on the roads in the metropolis have not undergone and passed the required training and examinations to perform traffic duties.
“The concerns previously raised by CoA two years ago have been addressed and being corrected until now to ensure that all of our traffic enforcers are well-trained before they are deployed,” Lim said.
The former Army brigadier general said he welcomes anyone to come forward and file a complaint against erring MMDA personnel.
Lim, whose marching orders from President Duterte are to stamp out corruption in the agency, added he has already ordered a thorough review of contracts MMDA has entered with private companies.
“I will definitely not sign or approve these [contracts] if we will find them not in order,” Lim said.
Last week, Lim appointed his trusted men to various positions in the agency.
Among them were Jose Arturo Garcia, officer-in-charge for the Office of the Assistant General Manager for Planning and concurrent Chief of Staff of the Office of the Chairman; Michael Salalima, Deputy Chief of Staff and Spokesperson (Office of the Chairman); Gen. Joe Campo, Deputy for Planning; Gen. Roberto Almadin, OIC for Operations (Traffic, Flood Control, and Solid Waste); lawyer Romando Artes, who was appointed as OIC for the Office of the Assistant General Manager for Finance and Administration; and Vic Pablo Trinidad, OIC for Legal Services.
“These gentlemen will provide assistance to the current MMDA directors and heads of offices to make improvements on various programs and projects,” said Lim.
Based on data from the agency’s Legal and Legislative Affairs Staff, a total of 681 MMDA personnel have administrative cases. Of that figure, 129 were dismissed from the service after undergoing investigation and due process, while 134 were formally charged.
Also, 91 personnel were preventively suspended for various cases, while 257 were reprimanded.
The MMDA urged the people to report abusive personnel via the agency’s social networking sites. Motorists or any complainant can report the so-called “bad eggs” within the agency via the agency’s Facebook page and the website mmda.gov.ph, where the complaint portal “I Will Act” is hosted.
The complaint portal is in collaboration with members of the Inter-agency on Traffic, which is composed of MMDA, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Office, and the 17 Metro Manila local government units.
The website was also made part of the MMDA’s program to cleanse its ranks of erring personnel amid the ongoing campaign of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to get rid of police scalawags and corrupt public officials.
The MMDA official said these complaints will be reviewed and investigated by an internal group.
Anyone who wishes to report any incident must log-in first. Complaints must include the full name of the complainant together with the specific date, time and place where the incident happened. They will receive a confirmation notice if their report was received successfully and will be given a reference number which they can use for follow-up, the agency said.
