MANILA, Philippines鈥擜 human resource manager of the Philip Morris and his brother are in deep trouble after they were filmed in the act of berating and attacking an enforcer of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday afternoon.
The 27-second video of motorist Robert Blair Carabuena bullying traffic constable Saturnino Fabros, which was taken by a producer of TV5, had spread like wildfire in the Internet and drawn the attention of the聽MMDA聽officials and even the Malaca帽an Palace.
Fabros, a traffic enforcer of the聽MMDA聽for 27 years, executed his affidavit for the direct assault charges filed at the Quezon City prosecutor鈥檚 office against Carabuena and his brother Robert Benjamin.
Apart from slapping the motorist with a criminal complaint, MMDA聽Chair Francis Tolentino had also asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to cancel Carabuena鈥檚 driver鈥檚 license saying an 鈥渁busive and arrogant motorists like him鈥� have no right to be in the road in the first place.鈥�
鈥淲e cannot allow this aggression and shameless attack against our men who are only doing their job as best as they can, regardless of the risks they face in the streets every day,鈥� Tolentino said.
The聽MMDA聽chief demanded Carabuena to issue a public apology because he said 鈥渢he assault on Fabros is also an attack against the聽MMDA.鈥�
Carabuena was caught on camera slapping Fabros over a traffic violation.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Carabuena was graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University and an HR executive of the tobacco giant Philip Morris.
In an interview with reporters, Fabros said he had tried to apprehend Carabuena after the latter who was driving a green Volvo car beat the stop signal at the corner of Capitol Drive and Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City.
鈥淧inapahinto ko na nga siya, dumiretso pa rin siya (I asked him to stop but he still went on),鈥� Fabros, the 47-year-old traffic enforcer, said.
He said he may have tapped Carabuena鈥檚 vehicle but he never hit it nor did he shout curses at the motorist.
鈥淗e was so angry. He grabbed my cap and hit me several times,鈥� said Fabros who at one point began to sob.
Carabuena鈥檚 brother, who will be likewise charged, held his back while Carabuena did the hitting.
A father of four children, he said never in his 27 years of service was he humiliated like that.
He said since he was backed by the聽MMDA聽legal department, nothing can stop him from filing the criminal complaint.
Under the Revised Penal Code, direct assault is punishable by a prison term of six months to six years.
Tolentino said the criminal liability of Carabuena is aggravated by the fact 鈥� as shown in the video footage 鈥� that he hurt Fabros who should be considered a person in authority.
鈥淎s with all of our men who were attacked and intimidated by undisciplined motorists while performing their duties, we will see to it that justice is served to Mr. Fabros,鈥� the聽MMDA聽chief said.
MMDA聽lawyer Victor Nunez said bullying and attack against traffic enforcers happen almost every month.
He said in separate incidents, two聽MMDA聽enforcers were intentionally hit by passenger buses while directing the traffic in their areas. In September last year, an聽MMDA聽enforcer was shot by a motorist whom he was trying to apprehend.
鈥淭he difference now is that we have a strong evidence against the motorist,鈥� Nunez said showing a CD copy of the video.