Village chief who punched MMDA personnel to face admin, criminal charges

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will pursue administrative and criminal charges against a barangay chairman in Tondo, Manila who allegedly punched personnel from the agency.

MMDA chairperson Armando Artes on Wednesday said the agency has already coordinated with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regarding the case of the barangay captain.

Artes said the village chief had already surrendered to the police and had been summoned already by the DILG.

“On the part ng MMDA ay ipu-pursue namin ‘yung kaso, both administratively and criminally, para po maturuan ng leksiyon ‘yung mga nananakit ng ating enforcers and clearing teams na ginagampanan lang naman ‘yung kanilang mga trabaho,” he said in a public briefing.

(On the part of the MMDA, we will pursue both administrative and criminal cases against him to serve as a lesson for those who hurt our enforcers and clearing teams when they are just doing their jobs.)

Barangay 51 captain Rommel Bravo allegedly punched a member of the agency’s clearing operations team, according to MMDA Task Force Special Operations and Anti-Colorum Unit head Bong Nebrija.

The MMDA team was clearing the Mabuhay Lane along Dagupan extension in Tondo when the encounter happened.

On the MMDA’s part, Artes said they advise their personnel to exercise maximum tolerance and not to retaliate during heated altercations.

“Kung talaga pong bayolente na ‘yung ating mga kababayan ay nagre-require tayo ng presence ng pulis, para sila ‘yung mag-apprehend or pacify ng mga medyo bayolente na naapektuhan nitong ating clearing operations,” he said.

(If the citizens are already violent, we require the presence of the police so that they will apprehend or pacify those who are violent which affects our clearing operations.)

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