Retired scout ranger traumatized after getting mauled in clearing ops

A retired scout ranger who was mauled by residents in Pasay City while conducting a clearing operation on Sunday, June 26, said he was traumatized by the incident, according to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras."

“Hindi (lang) sa akin eh. Pati pamilya ko nagkaroon na ng trauma,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcer Jose Zabala said.

(Not just me, even my family was traumatized.)

The retired master sergeant said he will pursue a complaint against the persons who mauled him to teach them a lesson.

“Ako po ay army special forces airborne, sa totoo lang. Matatag po ako sa totoo lang.  Pero nagtataka ako sa ngayon, sumama ang loob ko sa kanila,” Zabala.

(I am an army special forces airborne, to be honest. I’m strong, to be honest. But now, I feel bad for them.)

Based on police investigation, the commotion started when traffic enforcers of the MMDA conducted a clearing operation against e-trikes passing along EDSA.

A group of men tried to remove the e-trikes from the tow truck but the enforcers stopped them. This prompted Zabala and other enforcers to alight from the truck to intervene.

In a Facebook post, MMDA Task Force Special Operations head Bong Nebrija condemned the mauling of MMDA enforcers.

Nebrija also called for the men who beat the enforcers to surrender.

Meanwhile, MMDA Director of Health and Public Safety Francis Martinez said that they would still monitor the clearing operations against illegal vendors in the Baclaran-Taft Avenue area because of the incident.

“Ang amin lang pakiusap kung kilala nila ay ilutang na lang nila ang gumawa nun. Hanggat hindi nila tinu-turnover sa PNP ay i-operate namin ang (lugar),” Martinez said.

(If they know the person who did that, just let us know. As long as they do not turn them over to the PNP, we will conduct operations in the area.)—Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA News