Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has urged the public to refrain from passing judgment on the viral clamping incident along Juan Luna Street involving members of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB), and said that a thorough investigation on the matter showed that traffic enforcers acted within existing rules.

Domagoso said he immediately ordered a careful review of the incident after a video of the clamping operation circulated online, drawing criticism against the MTPB.

“Noong nakita ko ang viral video ng clamping operation sa Juan Luna Street, ipinag-utos ko muna ang masusing pagsisisyasat sa insidente bago ko ito aksyunan (Before taking action, it is important to establish the whole truth. Emotions often take over in viral incidents, which can overshadow what actually happened),” the mayor said.

Based on the investigation, the clamping was carried out after the establishment presented an expired parking permit. In accordance with existing rules and regulations, MTPB personnel proceeded with the enforcement operation.

However, the mayor said that only minutes later, the establishment presented an updated and valid parking permit, prompting MTPB personnel to remove the clamp after the issue was resolved immediately.

Domagoso noted that the viral video showed only the clamping portion of the incident and did not include the resolution, which led to a different public perception of the event.

The uploader of the video has since apologized and admitted that the post lacked proper context and unfairly damaged the MTPB's reputation, the mayor added.

“Bilang alkalde, pananagutan ko ang anumang abuso, ngunit ipagtatanggol ko rin ang mga kawani ng pamahalaan na tapat na gumaganap ng kanilang tungkulin, sapagkat ang hustisya ay dapat laging nakabatay sa buong katotohanan (As mayor, I will hold accountable anyone who abuses authority, but I will also defend government employees who faithfully perform their duties because justice must always be based on the complete truth,” Domagoso said.