MMDA suspends own man for illegal U-turn

MANILA, Philippines-The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suspended an employee in charge of operating heavy equipment for violating the very traffic rules that the agency is supposed to enforce.

Rogelio Anonuevo Jr., who reports to the MMDA’s flood-control unit, was suspended for five days starting May 22 and was given a traffic citation ticket for illegally making a U-turn while driving an MMDA truck at an intersection on Julia Vargas Avenue in Bagong Ilog, Pasig City.

The unit head, Engineer Emma Quiambao, said a concerned citizen managed to take a picture of the MMDA vehicle as it was making the turn around 5 p.m. on May 20, and sent the photo to a TV network.

Anonuevo was then driving a vehicle used to transport MMDA employees to various waterways in the capital for cleanup operations. The truck also moves heavy equipment used for the MMDA’s “Estero Blitz” campaign.

Quiambao said MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino, after learning about the photo, immediately issued a suspension order against Anonuevo to give him a lesson.

“This is the first time an employee of our unit was caught violating traffic rules, and we will never tolerate it,” Quiambao said.—Niña P. Calleja