Two employees of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) were “busy” playing an online game and browsing Facebook.
A female motorist who dropped by the office, got irked by the sight, and took a photo of both men at their work stations. She posted it on her Facebok account Thursday.
Now the employees are in hot water.
After the photo circulated, Citom executive director Rafael Yap ordered Ronie Nadera, head of the Communication and Electronics office (Comel), where the photo was taken, to investigate the matter.
Yap said Comel has an Internet connection and computers as part of their job to monitor the traffic and road situation, post online feedback and update their Facebook account.
It’s possible the staff member was just doing his job, said Yap, but he has to explain whether he was using his own Facebook account.
The computers are not for personal use especially during office hours.
“We are not ready yet to issue a formal statement pending the result of the investigation,” he said.
If violations were committed, said Yap, the possible sanctions could be reprimand or dismissal.
The photo was uploaded on Facebook by Phoebe Enriquez Estreba. She said she went to the Citom office in Ramos Street to follow up her car whose tire was clamped for alleged illegal parking outside Cebu Doctors’ Hospital last Thursday night.
As of last night, the photo had 1,239 shares and 73 likes.
The caption read: “So our car was clamped outside Cebu Doctor’s [sic] hospital and we were advised to claim the car at the CITOM OFFICE in Ramos and to my surprise, this is what we saw when we went inside their office- PLAYING GAMES AND FACEBOOK! You be the judge. KUSOG PA KAAYO MANGOTONG MGA CITOM, WALA PAJUY MGA GAMIT! GRRRRRRR. KA WALA NALANG JUY AYO ANING SYSTEMA SA PINAS! AND YES, WE WERE REQUIRED TO PAY 3,000 FOR VIOLATIONS THEY ONLY KNEW.”
Cebu Daily News tried to contact Estreba with a message to her Facebook account but she didn’t reply.
The photo shows one man in a green polo browsing a Facebook account and another man in a Citom enforcer’s uniform playing an online billiards game.
Their backs were to the camera.
Joy Tumulak, Citom operations officer, said he has required both to submit an official explanation. Tumulak said he could identify the two men from their profile, even if their faces were not fully exposed to the camera.
But he said he would not reveal their names yet unless the head of office and the radio operators on duty give their side.
A check of Citom’s official Facebook page showed only one update posted on Thursday at 3:55 p.m., a photo of a traffic advisory.
The last update before that was made on June 30.