MMDA suspends Gabriel Go from clearing operations after viral teacher incident

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Special Operations Group – Task Force for Road Clearing head Gabriel Go is temporarily suspended from joining clearing operations following an operation involving a teacher without a helmet that went viral online.

“His participation in clearing operations is currently held in abeyance pending the result of the investigation,” said MMDA in a statement on Wednesday.

In a video posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Go flagged a male school teacher who was not wearing a helmet while on a motorcycle.

“Teacher ka tapos wala kang helmet? Paano natin tuturuan ang ating mga estudyante kung ganun?,” Go told the teacher.

(You’re a teacher and yet you’re not wearing a helmet? How can we teach our students if that’s the case?)

The teacher immediately apologized and requested that Go not post the video of his apprehension.

But the MMDA official said, “Blurred ka naman. Wag ka na lang magpapakilala ng pangalan mo.”

(Your face is blurred anyway. Just don't reveal your name.)

The teacher was fined for not wearing a helmet.

For its part, the ACT Teachers Party-list called out Go for posting about his operations on social media.

“Nananawagan ang ACT Teachers Partylist kay MMDA chairperson Don Artes na sibakin na sa pwesto si Gabriel Go dahil sa patuloy nitong paglabag sa sariling direktiba ng MMDA sa usapin ng personal posts ukol sa kanilang operations,” the party-list said in a statement.

(ACT Teachers Partylist calls on MMDA Chairperson Don Artes to dismiss Gabriel Go from his post due to his continuous violation of MMDA's own directive regarding personal posts about their operations.)

“Malinaw na vinivideohan at pinopost ni Gabriel Go sa kanyang personal account ang MMDA operations para sa kanyang sariling interes,” it added.

(It is clear that Gabriel Go is filming and posting MMDA operations on his personal account for his own personal interest.)

The MMDA said it has received letters from various groups regarding the incident.

“The viral video of an incident involving our personnel Gabriel Go was brought to our attention, and we have also received letters from various groups,” it said.

“Rest assured that we are conducting an investigation as to Mr. Go's liability, and he was asked to explain his side in formal writing through a show cause order,” the MMDA added.

GMA News Online reached out to Go for his comment and will update the story as soon as it becomes available. —LDF, GMA News