GSIS exec accuses traffic men of harassment, discrimination

CEBU — A high-ranking executive of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Cebu complained of harassment and discrimination against two traffic enforcers over a jaywalking incident last week.

While no formal charges have yet been filed, 50-year-old Macacuna Macadato, assistant manager of GSIS-Cebu, has lodged a complaint with the Waterfront police last Saturday.

Macadato alleged that traffic enforcers Noli Caballero and Melchor Garces harassed him when he confronted the two on their earlier apprehension of one of his relatives for jaywalking.

At 9 a.m. last Oct. 14, Macadato said he went to Osmeña Boulevard to see the two enforcers about the matter but this resulted in an altercation between them instead.

Macadato alleged that one of them shoved him toward a parked Kaohsiung bus intended for jaywalking violators, while the other tried to punch him on his face but as he parried it, he was only hit on his left hand.

The GSIS official presented to the police a medical certificate, saying he is also set to file a case of physical injuries against Caballero and Garces.

The two traffic enforcers could not be reached for comment.

City Traffic Operations Management chairman Valeriano Avila later told The Freeman that Macadato telephoned him the day the incident happened informing him that he (Macadato) would be filing a case against the two enforcers for discriminating him, he being a Muslim.

However, Avila denied the veracity of Macadato’s charge of discrimination, saying that enforcers are duty-bound to arrest any traffic violator regardless of race or religion.

But should Macadato pursue the case, Avila said he would just wait until a case is filed against the two traffic enforcers before he would comment further on the issue. — Freeman News Service