MANILA, Philippines – Only volunteer groups who have partnered with the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) have IDs, and are authorized to apprehend motorists, the task force said on Tuesday, July 3.

In a press briefing, I-ACT Chief Traffic Officer Manny Gonzales said interested groups may partner with the task force to help with traffic management.

“Ang pagko-conduct ng traffic management, hindi lang basta-basta (Conducting traffic management is not a joke). If you want to be a part of I-ACT volunteers, then we will [need to] have a MOA (memorandum of agreement),” Gonzales said.

The briefing happened after a supposed “fake” enforcer was apprehended by I-ACT.

On June 25, Gio Bergas showed an ID after he was apprehended by I-ACT enforcers in Parañaque City for a traffic violation. Bergas said he was not a fraud and the ID was issued by volunteer group Task Force Daloy Trapiko (Traffic Flow).

Bergas also said he was not involved in extorting money from motorists for traffic violations.

“Wala po kahit piso. may [nagtry] sa amin, pero hindi namin tinatanggap. Hindi po puwede sa amin ‘yan,” he said on Tuesday. (We don’t accept even a peso. There are those trying, but we don’t accept. That is not allowed in our group.)

According to June Tagana, representative of Task Force Daloy Trapiko, they were accredited and issued IDs by the Taguig Traffic Management Bureau (TTMB). They also went through deputization trainings to help with managing traffic.

“Gusto ng Taguig na mag-permanent kami. Dala-dala pa rin namin ang Task Force Daloy Trapiko,” Tagana said. (Taguig wants us to be permanent volunteers. We still carry the name of Task Force Daloy Trapiko.)

I-ACT agreed not to pursue charges against Bergas, and instead told the TTMB to process the group’s accreditation with the I-ACT National Secretariat.

“You should be first accredited by the I-ACT. Without that, talagang huhulihin kayo kasi (you will really be apprehended because that’s) ursurpation of authority… because you’re using an ID that is not authorized by the National Secretariat,” Gonzales said.

Moving forward, Gonzales said all interested volunteer groups can partner with the I-ACT, but must follow the process of signing a memorandum of agreement and undergoing deputization trainings. – Rappler.com