Teacher organizations on Thursday welcomed the temporary suspension of a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority official following a viral social media post depicting a traffic apprehension of a public school teacher.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said it supports the decision to suspend the official from clearing operations pending investigation.
The group emphasized that its concern was not the traffic apprehension itself, but the manner in which it was conducted and publicly shared despite the teacher’s request not to be filmed.
The official faced criticism after posting a video in which he confronted a male teacher riding a motorcycle without a helmet, questioning the educator’s example to students.
In a formal letter, the coalition described the official’s conduct as unnecessarily confrontational, demeaning, and disrespectful.
The group stressed that firm law enforcement and respectful treatment of the public are complementary obligations of every public servant.
A separate educators’ alliance also questioned the official’s decision to record the incident despite the teacher’s refusal to be filmed.
The alliance said the video showed the teacher pleading to keep the matter private, suggesting the official sought attention rather than public safety.
The group noted the official violated an internal directive prohibiting personnel from recording and posting agency operations on social media.
It urged the agency to conduct a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident.
The alliance argued the official lacks credibility after breaching his own agency’s rules and engaging in public humiliation for personal interest.
The agency had banned social media posting of operations in a personal capacity last year after a separate viral incident involving the same official.
Officials confirmed a show-cause order will be issued against the suspended personnel as the investigation proceeds.
