4 MMDA traffic enforcers suspended for extortion

MANILA, Philippines - Four traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) accused of extorting money from a truck driver in Quezon City were suspended yesterday.

Edelito Corilla, Dominador Panopio, Gobito Calis and Carlito Llaneta were arrested by members of the Task Force Anti-Crime Advocate in Barangay San Vicente following the complaint of George Basubas, 51, of Barangay San Antonio in Cauayan, Isabela.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the four were suspended while under investigation.

Tolentino said the traffic enforcers denied the accusation against them.

They also slammed their arrest.

“They said they were innocent. But they were suspended pending result of the investigation,” Tolentino said.

Basubas said he was driving along Commonwealth Avenue when the four MMDA traffic enforcers pulled him over at around 1 a.m. for entering the yellow lane for buses and jeepneys.

He said the enforcers demanded P300 from him, but he told them he only had P200.

The four were taken to the Quezon City Police District Station 9 in Anonas after their arrest.

Panopio, Calis and Llaneta were released after Basubas failed to positively identify them.

A complaint for direct bribery will be filed against Corilla after he was identified as the one who took the P200 from Basubas.

Case vs driver elevated to murder

Meanwhile, the Quezon City prosecutor’s office has elevated to murder the charge against the driver who dragged a traffic constable along EDSA in Cubao last month.

Assistant City Prosecutor Corazon Romano on Monday issued an amended resolution elevating the case filed against Mark Ian Libunao from reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury to murder.

The case was raffled off to Judge Genie Gapas-Agbada of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 100.

The court has yet to set the suspect’s arraignment. No bail was recommended.

A separate charge of driving without a license, in violation of Republic Act 4136, had been filed against Libunao before the Metropolitan Trial Court.

The amended charge was filed after MMDA traffic constable Sonny Acosta died four days after the incident on Dec. 19.

Acosta pulled over the sport utility vehicle driven by Libunao at a bus loading bay along EDSA. But instead of yielding his license, the driver allegedly rolled up the car’s window and sped off, dragging the traffic constable whose arm was stuck in the vehicle.

Libunao was arrested in San Miguel, Bulacan after the police traced the license plates of the vehicle to Dante Borguete.

The suspect works as a driver for Borguete’s father-in-law, police said. –With Rhodina Villanueva, Janvic Mateo