MMDA has no deputized personnel to enact anti-drunk, drugged driving law

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has no personnel who are qualified to enact the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013. 

In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Tulfo questioned officials from the MMDA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) why they could not procure breathalyzers for themselves. 

MMDA Acting Chair Romando Artes said that they had no procurement because they had no deputized traffic enforcers.  

Under the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013, the Land Transportation Office can deputize the MMDA and PNP to enforce the law. 

“Naka dalawang batch na kami ng enforcers if I recall it right, na pinag-train at pinag-exam. Unfortunately, hindi ko po alam kung kakulangan po ng competence namin o sinasadya nila… nag-fail po ‘yung dalawang batches na ipinadala namin sa written exam, for deputization. Wala pong pumasa,” Artes said. 

(We had two batches of enforcers, if I recall it right, that we had trained and took the exam. Unfortunately, I do now know if there is a shortage of competence or they intend to do it… the two batches failed in the written exam for deputization.)  

Artes said the personnel might be discouraged from passing the exam because they would be deployed from night to early morning, where drunk drivers were more common on the streets. 

There were 25 MMDA personnel per batch, so around 50 people failed, according to Artes. 

“So ibig sabihin bobo lahat ng mga tao niyo diyan sa MMDA?” Tulfo jabbed. (So it means that all your people there in the MMDA are idiots?)  

Tulfo told the LTO that he wanted more MMDA personnel to be deputized, because they were more visible on the streets. 

“I want the MMDA enforcers deputized. I am dead serious,” Tulfo said. 

Tulfo said he has yet to observe traffic enforcers from the LTO, dubbed as Transportation Regulation Officers.  

LTO Law Enforcement Service Director Francis Almora said that there were only 28 of these said officers for all of Metro Manila, which led to Tulfo instructing the MMDA to send in more personnel to test for deputization.