Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has urged Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan to reinstate the relieved policeman involved in the traffic confusion along Commonwealth Avenue in the city on Thursday, Oct. 5.

Executive Master Sgt. Verdo Pantollano, assigned to the QCPD Holy Spirit Station (PS 14), was relieved from his post after he stopped the traffic flow on the westbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue after he "mistakenly heard" that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio's vehicle is passing through the said road. A video of the incident was shared on social media.

Maranan earlier issued an apology to the public as well as to the Office of the Vice President for the inconvenience and confusion brought by the incident.

He also said that traffic management operations are part of the security measures they provide for very important persons (VIPs) including elected government officials, diplomats, and state guests.

The PS 14 also apologized to the public, saying that its personnel manning the said road misheard the word "VP," prompting him to temporarily halt the traffic flow as a sign of courtesy and security to the vice president.

Lt. Col. May Genio,  PS 14 commander, also ordered the relief of Pantollano to give way to the investigation of the incident and determine administrative liability for his actions. 

According to the local government, Belmonte made her call after acting Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Ronaldo Artes said that they give courtesy to VIPs especially the President and vice president when they are using public roads because they have security concerns.

Artes said that the courtesy also applies to foreign dignitaries, and the MMDA would arrange a traffic management plan to avoid traffic jams.

Belmonte said that she did not react at first when Pantollano was relieved because she was under the impression he had committed a wrongdoing by stopping traffic.

However, the mayor decided to speak up when the MMDA made the clarification, and when she noticed that they did not relieve nor take any action against the national agency's personnel who were also in the same viral video.

"Following the clarification made by Chairman Artes, I feel  that an injustice was committed against Pantollano and must be rectified, regardless of who the VIP was. The cop must be reinstated as he was simply doing his job," the mayor said.