Woman who hit Manila traffic enforcer an alleged drug courier — MPD

MANILA, Philippines — The female model who was arrested after hitting a Manila traffic enforcer is supposedly a drug courier, the Manila Police District (MPD) said on Friday.

Reports shared by the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO) said that the MPD’s Special Mayor’s Reaction Team (SMaRT) showed that the woman, who was initially arrested for driving without a license and direct assault, is a part of a team whose members were also previously arrested on a separate occasion.

MPD-SMaRT said that the other suspects were arrested in front of the University of Manila.

“Napag-alamang drug courier ang babaeng traffic violator na nagmaneho nang walang lisensya at nanakit ng enforcer sa Malate, ayon sa ulat ng MPD SMaRT,” MPIO said in a Facebook post.

(It was revealed that the female traffic violator who drove without a license and who punched a traffic enforcer in Malate is a drug courier, according to reports from the MPD-SMaRT.)

“Arestado rin ang mga kasabwat nito sa isang operasyon na naganap sa tapat ng Universidad de Manila,” MPIO added.

(Her cohorts were also arrested in a separate operation which happened in front of the Universidad de Manila.)

It was not immediately clear from MPD-SMaRT what its basis was in reaching this conclusion, but in his Facebook Live, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said that MPD operatives were able to establish the drug connection between the lady driver and the previously arrested group.

“Kanina mukhang nakaramdam sila, ‘yong ating Manila Police District kahapon ‘no, so patuloy silang inimbestigahan ng MPD. Ngayon mga kababayan, ‘don sa masusing imbestigasyon na ginawa ng Manila Police District, na-follow up ito […] meron tayong nahuling tatlong drug pusher din,” Moreno said.

(Earlier, the police felt something, so the Manila Police District continued investigating. Now, after that investigation, they caught three other drug pushers.)

“Courier pala ‘tong babae ng drugs, papatunayan namin sa inyo […] ang hindi nila alam, ka-text na nila ‘yong pulis, nahuli po ‘yan dyan sa Kartilya.  Ito ho ngayon, ito ‘yong mga kasapakat nila, pakita mo ‘yong laman ng bag,” he added, before showing photos of the woman’s bag with supposed illegal drugs inside.

(This woman appears to be a courier, we would prove it to you. The three drug suspects did not know that they were already transacting with cops, so they were arrested.  Now, they are the cohorts of the female suspect, whose bag yielded illegal drugs.)

Prior to Moreno’s Facebook live, he interviewed the drug suspects arrested near the Universidad de Manila. In that conversation, a police officer said their planned entrapment operation was the reason why they did not want the female suspect to talk with the media.

The female suspect is the subject of a now-viral video, which showed her being flagged down by traffic enforcers after beating the red light along Osmeña Highway in Malate, Manila.

But instead of moving near the curb and alighting her white Toyota Fortuner, the suspect instead continued driving, prompting traffic enforcers to chase her down.

Traffic enforcers managed to stop her at Osmeña Highway corner Estrada Street.  But when she was asked to present her driver’s license, Altamirano did not follow the directives and instead harassed and hit the enforcer.

In the five-minute clip, the woman was seen shouting at the male traffic enforcer while demanding him to return her vehicle’s official receipt and certificate of registration (OR/CR).

According to MPD-SMART, the suspect will be facing complaints for violating Section 19 of Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code for driving without a license, and Articles 148 (direct assault) and 151 (resistance and disobedience to a person in authority) of the Revised Penal Code.

EDV