Mandaue starts probe on extort footage

The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) is investigating an alleged extortion involving two of its enforcers last month.

An anonymous person, claiming to be foreign resident, posted a video on YouTube that allegedly recorded a Team mobile patrol crew while attempting to fleece them at the corner of  E.O. Perez St. and Ouano Avenue at the Mandaue reclamation area last Jan. 18.

The video, titled Mandaue Cops Sinulog 2015, runs 4 minutes and 23 seconds and was edited to include text annotations narrating the alleged extortion. No audio of the conversation was audible. The alleged bribe-taking was also not recorded in the footage.

The enforcers allegedly asked for P1,500 as bribe for a traffic violation that only carries a P200 fine.

Edwin Ermac, chief of Team, said he has grounded the two enforcers and would be subjected to an investigation.

Cebu Daily News is withholding the names of the enforcers pending the conclusion of the investigation. “We are now investigating the two enforcers of the alleged extortion, to get their sides,” he told CDN.

The foreigner, who claimed to be with his girlfriend, said that the Team enforcers who were in a mobile patrol car pursued him and flagged him down after he made an illegal U-turn along Ouano Ave.

The annotations in the video indicate that the foreigner demanded to be issued a traffic citation ticket so he could just pay the fine. The footage also showed the foreigner being led into the driver’s seat of the patrol car, with one deputy going back to the location of the motorcycle where her girlfriend was left to negotiate with the enforcers. The footage at this moment was annotated with: “He waffles about how expensive the motorbike is… whilst secretly taking the cash from her.”

Ermac however is challenging the foreigner to come out. “I am asking the foreigner to come out. We need the complainant to file an affidavit,” he said.

“Irresponsable kaayo nga mu-conclude dayon ta kung dili nato makuha ang habig pud sa complainant,” Ermac said. (Our investigation was too irresponsible if we’ll immediately conclude without getting the complainant’s side.)