Couple in viral video for illegal parking incident issues apology

MANILA — The couple, who argued with traffic enforcers over illegal parking violation, on Wednesday apologized to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) over the incident.

This, after a video was uploaded on Facebook showing a woman, identified as a prosecutor, who refused to present her driver’s license as she told the enforcers that she arrived within five minutes after being notified of the violation.

Her husband later appeared and explained that she was a prosecutor and has been suffering a miscarriage.

“On Aug. 14, 2018 at around 9:30 to 10 in the morning, we figured in an altercation with officers of the MMDA. Unfortunately, heated arguments and commotions happened among us. We would like to apologize to the MMDA enforcers, especially to Col. Bong Nebrija and Constable Azures. We ask for your understanding on the matter as well, as emotions got the best of us,” the couple said in their statement that was read in the presence of MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia.

The MMDA has filed a complaint before the Land Transportation Office (LTO), seeking to suspend or revoke the driver’s license of the prosecutor for her arrogant behavior.

“The tension was high yesterday and the driver was resistant. We tried to deescalate the situation. You saw how I approached her, how I asked the enforcers to be at a distance as they were emotional because one of them was almost got hit by her vehicle. I was the one who talked to her to know the situation. I talked to her as well as the enforcer just to deescalate the situation. Despite this, the woman was confrontational,” said Nebrija, MMDA Special Task Force Operations commander, in a press briefing earlier Wednesday.

The MMDA legal team is considering the filing of additional charges against the prosecutor, such as violation of the number coding scheme and direct assault of traffic enforcers.

The agency is also set to file a complaint before the Department of Justice on Thursday. Aerol John Pateña/PNA-northboundasia.com