In a press conference today, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that they have filed a case against the driver who figured in a viral confrontation with MMDA’s officers. The MMDA said that they have asked the Land Transportation Office to suspend or revoke the woman’s license.
According to the MMDA, the woman is a prosecutor. The agency is studying the possibility of seeking her disbarment from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
The MMDA will also file a complaint at the Department of Justice, which oversees the country’s prosecutors, for direct assault after she reportedly hit one of the MMDA’s staff with her van.
The viral video was posted yesterday on Gadget Geek, a Facebook account which follows the work of the MMDA.
In the video, the woman is seen repeatedly refusing to show her license after she was caught illegally parking. In a raised voice, she asks: “What is your rule prior to towing?”
Off cam, one of the MMDA’s men asks, “Did she hit you?”
The woman, whose face was blurred, then says: “How could I not hit him when he stopped my car from leaving?”
In the video, one of the MMDA’s staff tells MMDA Special Operations Group head Bong Nebrija in Filipino: “Sir, she hit me.”
To which the woman answers, “So are you going to cry?”
The husband later arrived at the scene and told the MMDA officers that his wife is pregnant and was bleeding. He accused the MMDA team of stressing his wife and told them that if his wife miscarries, he will hold the MMDA officers liable for it.
The woman gave her license only after her husband arrived at the scene.
The video has received more than 11.1 million views. It has been shared more than 242,000 times.
During the press conference aired on ABS-CBN News Channel, MMDA chairman Jojo Garcia explained the MMDA’s rule: “When there’s an illegal parking, the 5-minute rule doesn’t mean that you are given 5 minutes.
“The MMDA will arrive at the area, honk their horn and will start counting the five minutes. If the owner doesn’t arrive, the car will be towed. If the owner arrives, they will give you a ticket for illegal parking. It doesn’t mean that if you arrive, you will no longer be given a ticket.”
Garcia asked the public not to argue with the MMDA’s officers during such instances. “During a simple traffic violation, don’t argue. Just give your license, you will be given a ticket. There’s no 1 minute, 2 minutes [grace period] just do it so there will be no confrontations,” he said.
Meanwhile, netizens are angered by the woman’s actions. Wrote Ello Marcial: “This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable. Revoke her license right away. We don’t care if she’s a prosecutor. Congressmen aren’t even allowed [to break the law]. You think you’re above the law.”
Lancelot Ambrosio wrote: “Cancer spotted. All for PHP200 (US$3.73) she fought. You even brought your father [the husband] who changed the narrative of the incident. If that woman miscarries do you think it’s the MMDA’s fault? We all saw the woman was the one challenging [them]. Stupid!”
Lhyca Mateo is equally angry at the woman. “Just because you’re a prosecutor doesn’t mean you can just park anywhere. You should know the rules. For PHP200 you got in trouble. You also violated the coding rules. And your vehicle was outside. Don’t make the excuse that you’re pregnant and don’t blame other people for your mistakes. You’re abusive.”
Dindi Zerna said she would have handled things differently. “If this happened to me and [I] were pregnant, [I] would NOT STRESS MYSELF by resisting and giving a lot of reasons,” she wrote.
