ILOILO City – The crackdown on rogue traffic personnel has intensified.
A female enforcer was caught in an entrapment operation, the latest in a string of arrests that has put six more Iloilo City traffic aides under suspicion for extortion.
Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) head Retired Police Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos admitted the agency is facing a serious internal problem but vowed firm action.
“We have never lacked in reminding them not to engage in such illegal activities,” he said, stressing that accountability measures will be strictly enforced.
At least 10 enforcers have already been dismissed for extortion under his watch.
The most recent sting on Sept. 16 netted an aide identified only as “Sol,” who police said received P6,300 in marked money from a complainant in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz district.
The victim alleged that since March, Sol and others had been demanding payments after an earlier traffic violation, with fresh extortion attempts in August and twice more this September.
Sol denied pocketing the money, claiming she was only a “messenger” for another person and was pressured under threat.
She insisted she never benefited and hinted she was “set up” due to personal conflict with the alleged mastermind.
Police, however, said the entrapment cash was received directly by her.
Garbanzos also disclosed that two other enforcers in Mandurriao district were arrested the previous week in separate stings, underscoring the extent of the problem. He said the TTMO is not only targeting extortion but also disciplining personnel who are habitually tardy or neglect duties.
“The cleansing will continue until the public’s trust in our traffic enforcers is fully restored,” Garbanzos assured./PN
