Did they extort or were they bribed? MMDA exec says traffic enforcer duo's case will go through 'due process'

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has identified the two traffic enforcers who allegedly extorted P1,000 from a couple over the weekend.

"Nakita na po namin (We've seen it)," lawyer Vic Trinidad, Director III of the MMDA's Metropolitan Public Safety Office, said in an interview over DZBB radio on Sunday, April 25.

Trinidad was referring to a video posted on Facebook that showed two of the agency's traffic enforcers who seemingly received cash from a motorist-couple that was inside a car.

"Na-identify na rin po namin sila. Alam na po nami kung sino sila...Sa Monday, ipapatawag na po sa opisina (We've identified them. We know who they are...They will be summoned to the office on Monday)," the MMDA official said.

Asked by the radio anchor what the MMDA's initial findings were on the incident, Trinidad politely declined to give any details.

"May administrative due process pa po tayo, pwedeng pagkatapos na lang po tsaka po namin sasabihin sa inyo resulta? (There's still an administrative due process to go through, could we please finish it first before we tell you the results?)" he replied.

In her Facebook post Friday night, April 23, Miriel Custodio gave a "shoutout" to the two traffic enforcers who, according to her, flagged down their car despite committing no violation.

She hinted that they were only forced to give the enforcers the P1,000 because they were "rushing to take a swab test".

But on Sunday, Custodio edited her post to give more context to the incident after netizens accused them of bribing the MMDA enforcers.

"Sila po ang nagbigay ng presyo. Ni hindi po kami nagtanong. Nagbigay lang kami para mabalik yung lisensya namin dahil flight na namin kinabukasan (They were the ones who asked for the amount. We didn't ask about it. We just gave the money in order to get our license back because we had a flight the next day)," she explained.