Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Traffic enforcer Ferdinand Borja was terminated after being caught on video extorting money from a foreigner. The video made the rounds on social media and spurred negative reactions from netizens.
In an exclusive interview, Ernalyn Gacosta, the woman who posted the video shared the whole story. They were driving along Santa Cruz Manila when they were hailed by two enforcers and told them they are in violation of the number coding system.
Borja explained that plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 are not allowed on roads being a Monday and asked for their driver’s license.
They handed it in and asked where they could claim the license because they were in a hurry.
“Sige magbigay nalang kayo ng 2k,” Borja ordered them.
As a response to the MMDA’s statement that no one will accept bribes is no one gives it out in the first place, Eugenio has this to say: “Siya po yong una nag-offer ng 2k kaya po ako nag start kumuha ng video.”
Eugenio is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on vacation. The car they were driving was a rental and being away for many years, she claimed not knowing the number coding.
“Hindi po namin alam kasi nagwowork po kami sa Kuwait pareho. Wala po din ako sasakyan,” she continued.
She said that they arrived Saturday last week and rented a car near Clark airport. They live in Tarlac and only drove to Manila because she had an appointment in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.
Ernalyn started working as an OFW in Kuwait in 2009. She goes back to the Philippines every year but her vacations are often short, lasting only 2-3 weeks. The money she was saving for the renewal of her documents went instead in the pockets of Ferdinand Borja.
