Vendor mauled by MMDA personnel during clearing ops files complaint

The buko vendor who was caught on camera being mauled by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel during a sidewalk clearing operation in Pasay City is determined to take legal action.

A report by GMA News' Rida Reyes on Balitanghali on Monday said the vendor, Romnick Relos, faced MMDA chairman Danny Lim and other officials to discuss the incident.

Relos said he will file charges against the men who beat him.

The vendor said the team tried to take his cart and coconuts away during the clearing operations over the weekend. The MMDA team said the altercation happened after Relos refused to budge from his position.

Relos said he resisted because the team insisted on taking his cart, his sole source of income and remittance to his family in the province, despite his pleas.

The team, one of whom Relos claimed had a gun, argued that they merely tried to do their job.

MMDA officials promised to be transparent in its investigation and said their personnel had no right to hurt civilians even when hurt in the line of duty due to their "maximum tolerance" policy.

They, however, urged the public to understand that sidewalk clearing teams are merely following orders to clear the streets and ease congestion in the traffic-heavy city.

Both sides will file complaints against each other for injuries they sustained in the incident, the report said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News