Extortionist Traffic Enforcers in Ortigas, Pasig City

This story was reported by Kicker Daily News last December. It's about some traffic enforcers in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, who extort money from hapless motorists. Vehicles going to Edsa should be in the middle to right lane. The traffic officers would flag down motorists in the middle lane and insist that they were using the left lane and hence, should be penalized for traffic violation. It is time consuming to argue with these officers, and even more time consuming to redeem one's driver's license at their office + pay the penalty. So they extort money and they will let go of the motorists.

The motorist who posted originally in facebook, David Kilpatrick, has been extorted previously, P500. The practice is repeated, so one day he took video of the two officers, shown above. The one directly facing the camera is JA Cruz, Traffic and Parking Management Office (TPMO) #276. His buddy's name was not captured by the camera.

After their faces have been reported in media, one may expect that these guys may have been suspended or sacked already as their acts would negatively affect TPMO Mandaluyong Pasig City. This did not happen.

Today, a friend way back in Congress, Jojo Menorca, posted and positively identified these two officers who flagged down his daughter two weeks ago for the same accusation against Kilpatrick, and tried to extort P2,000 from her.

Jojo wrote (posting this with his permission):

Itong dalawang tarantadong ito ang nanghuli sa anak kong si Elysse Toral Menorca dyan mismo sa ORTIGAS two weeks ago. Same situation. Nasa mid lane sya at iniinsist ng mga ito na me violation siya. I am sharing this para makita nyo mga pagmumukha ng mga hayup na ito.

Akala ng mga ito e matatakot sa kanila ang anak ko. Kinokotongan nila ng P2K para di na raw maabala. I told her over the phone na wag siya aalis kung saan siya pinara until I get there to challenge these 2 idiots sa sinasabi nilang violation. Dahil palaban ang anak ko, nakipag argue siya at hinahanap niya ang karatulang sinasabi nila na bawal dumeretso ng Edsa ang galing sa Ortigas. Elysse went down her car and took picture of the signboard that says something like "Vehicles in the inner lane must turn left to Meralco Ave." So, where is her violation? She is in the middle lane and not in the inner lane? Sensing na walang mangyayari sa pakikipag argue nila sa anak ko, they let her go without giving money to these two CORRUPT TRAFFIC ENFORCERS. Buti nga hindi sila nakatikim ng mura sa anak ko e. Kahit timid anak ko palaban yun!

Look at how they cover their NAMECLOTH with accessories.

Many government personnel especially in local governments have acquired that extortionist culture. Here's what they do: they create many Nos, prohibitions and restrictions on the roads -- No left turn and No right turn on red, No U-turn here, No Parking or Waiting there, No Loading here, No Unloading there, etc. Sometimes the left or U-turn slots are far away or in traffic-congested areas, enough to cause inconvenience to motorists. Some drivers who want to avoid getting stuck in heavy traffic try their luck and take the nearest open intersection, and that's where the "public servant" traffic officers come to harass them, impose fines and penalties + deliberate time consuming process to redeem the driver's license. Motorists will be pressured to pay the extortion that they demand.

As government expands, opportunities for extortion also expand. Hence, the need to stop further and endless expansion of the government, local and national.
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See also:

Towing 2: Confiscating Motorcycles, September 22, 2013

Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 7, February 13, 2015

LTO Bureaucracy 8, No Driver's License Available, May 24, 2015 

On Taking Photos of Government Personnel and MAPSA, May 28, 2015 

Confiscation of Driver's License by Pasay Traffic Enforcers, May 31, 2015