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MMDA Chairman Don Artes said General Manager Nicolas Torre III volunteered to take a one-month leave from public office effective Tuesday, Sept. 8, following the controversy over the alleged illegal use of the EDSA Busway.

Artes said he advised Torre to take a leave first after the latter expressed plans to retire from public service, giving him time to reflect on the incident that drew criticism on social media.

Artes also stressed that no government official, regardless of position or rank, is exempt from traffic laws and regulations.

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00:00Okay, update lang kami no sir, yung sinabi ng daylan sa'yo ni GM, Torres, kung bakit siya nag-leave.
00:09Actually, hindi namin napag-usapan exactly yung result kung bakit siya nag-leave.
00:15Siguro, ibigay ko lang yung background nung pangyayari.
00:20Nung weekend kasi, magka-text kami tungkol sa trabaho.
00:24Then, may isa kong task na ipinapagawa sa kanya.
00:28Then, he asked me kung may, kung okay lang na siya yung gumawa ng trabaho.
00:35At kung may tiwala pa ako sa kanya.
00:38Ang naging sagot ko sa kanya hindi diretsyong oo meron or wala.
00:43Ang sabi ko sa kanya is just do the job, pero keep it.
00:48Kung baga, laylo.
00:50Dahil alam naman natin may issue at maraming bumabatikos.
00:55Although, hindi naman related sa traffic yung pinag-uusapan aming trabaho.
01:01Then, he volunteered na mag-leave siya for two weeks.
01:06Sabi ko, I said, okay, usap tayo sa lunes.
01:09Sabi ko sa kanya.
01:09So, noong 10 o'clock ng umaga, pumunta siya dito.
01:16Ang una niyang sinabi,
01:17Sir, I'm planning to retire from public service.
01:23Ang naging tugon ko sa kanya ay pag-isipan mo muna.
01:27Sabi ko sa kanya at sabi ko,
01:29total, you're planning to file leave of absence.
01:33I-file mo during the time na naka-leave ka.
01:37Iyan naman ay wala namang pong sweldo habang siya ay naka-leave.
01:41Ay pag-isipan mo kung ano yung magiging decision mo.
01:44Huwag kang magpagbigla-bigla, sabi ko sa kanya.
01:49At mag-contemplate ka lang.
01:52Dahil unang-una, sabi ko nga,
01:56malaki po ang naitulong ni Jem Torre sa akin dito.
02:00Especially sa day-to-day operations po na MMDA.
02:05Siguro naman, namamoledore niya rin siya
02:08whether Facebook or sa postings namin dito sa MMDA.
02:12Alasin ko pa lang na nandito na po siya sa office eh.
02:16Late na siguro yung 6 o'clock.
02:18Tapos talagang nakatutok siya
02:20pag may bagyo.
02:22Even yan, yung traffic situation,
02:25accident sa kasada,
02:26talagang tinututukan niya talaga.
02:29And with that, nakakapag-concentrate ako sa mga policies
02:34and yung mga programs po ng MMDA.
02:37Although, siyempre bago lang siya,
02:39I still guide him doon sa mga day-to-day operations.
02:45But malaki na itutulong niya sa amin dito sa ANC.
02:49And sabi ko nga sa kanya,
02:52itong single incident na to,
02:55although nagkamali siya,
02:56ina-albit naman niya,
02:57should not define yung kanyang public service record.
03:03Alam naman natin,
03:05marami siyang nagawa
03:07na contribution sa ating bansa.
03:12And then dito sa MMDA,
03:14even during the nine months na nag-trabaho siya dito.
03:21So, after namin mag-usap,
03:25sabi niya,
03:26sige magpo-file ako ng lead,
03:27but I'll make it one month.
03:30Sabi niya.
03:31Sabi ko, sige.
03:32Sige ko para may time ka mag-isip
03:34kung ano talaga ang gusto mo.
03:37Inform mo lang ako na
03:39magiging decision mo.
03:41Sabi ko.
03:42Sa kanya.
03:43So, yun po yun.
03:44Doon po nagtapos yung usapin.
03:46Pero hindi kami nag-drab actually sa
03:48yung mga reasons niya,
03:51yung mga justifications niya
03:53for the infraction.
03:54Kasi nga,
03:56hindi na ako nagtanong
03:56kasi nasabi ko naman na
04:00ipinapaubaya ako sa LTO
04:02yung
04:04yung
04:04pag-iimbestiga
04:05at pag-de-decision administratively.
04:08Gusto ko nang-clarify na
04:11maraming kasi nagtatanong
04:12bakit hindi ako
04:14nag-impose ng
04:17sanction,
04:18preventive suspension.
04:20Unang-una,
04:21wala po akong
04:22disciplinary authority
04:23over
04:26general authority
04:28dahil siya po ay
04:29presidential appointee.
04:31Meron lang po ako ay
04:33suspensive,
04:34ah, suspension
04:35authority to suspend.
04:37Pursuwan to an administrative
04:39investigation.
04:40Eh, since nga po LTO na ang
04:43nag-iimbestiga sa kanya,
04:45ah, wala pong reason
04:46para i-suspend ko pa siya.
04:49Ah, alam naman natin yung
04:50preventive suspension,
04:51yan po ay
04:53ginagawa
04:54para yung respondent
04:56o yung nakagawa ng pagkakamali
04:57ay hindi ma-influensyahan
04:59yung pong
05:00course ng investigation.
05:01eh, since
05:02nasa ibang agency naman,
05:04ah, I don't think
05:05that will be applicable.
05:09second yung pong
05:12comparison,
05:12bakit daw po yung
05:13iba na nag-
05:16ba-violate, ah,
05:17bus lane violation,
05:19ay tinatanggal namin kaagad.
05:21Depende naman po yan,
05:23kasi pag job order, ah,
05:26since it's a violation
05:27of the contract nila
05:28na pinirmahan sa amin,
05:30yun po,
05:31tineterminate namin yung contract.
05:33ah,
05:35pero,
05:35pag-permanent employee po,
05:37tulad nung lasing na
05:38empleyado namin,
05:39na pumasok
05:41before sa bus carousel
05:42ng comfort flow pa,
05:45siya po ay hanggang ngayon
05:46empleyado namin.
05:48ah,
05:48although may ongoing investigation
05:50pa nga po,
05:51nga proceedings,
05:52siyempre po,
05:53lahat naman,
05:54binibigyan natin
05:54ang pagkakataon
05:55magpaliwanan.
05:56At pag-unang violation naman po,
05:59hindi po,
06:00namin tineterminate.
06:01At binibigyan po namin
06:03ng pagkakataon na,
06:05ah,
06:06mag-reform.
06:07At huwag na lang po ulitin.
06:09Pero,
06:09may punishment pa rin naman po.
06:11Sir, yung vehicle,
06:13yung MMDA Patrol vehicle
06:15na ginagamit po ni GM Torrey before,
06:17may authorization po ba sa MMDA yun
06:20na lagyan po yung mga markings?
06:22Wala.
06:23O mag-change ang plaka?
06:24Wala.
06:26Sir,
06:26din mo na ako dun sa question,
06:28bakit nga ba hindi mo na sagot directly
06:31yung question niya kung,
06:32if you still trust him?
06:35Well,
06:36hindi,
06:37hindi ko lang po
06:38nasagot siguro diretsyo.
06:40Kasi,
06:41at the time,
06:42ah,
06:43na magkausap kami,
06:44kasama ko po yung family
06:46and happy pang family ko
06:47na nasa mall,
06:49ah,
06:49nag-beginner kami.
06:51So,
06:52nung sumagot po ako sa kanya,
06:53siguro hindi ko lang nasagot diretsyo.
06:55Baka,
06:56yun yung pinaggagaling,
06:57anong,
06:57gusto niya mag-retire.
06:58Makaakala niya,
06:59wala akong tiwala sa kanya.
07:02Pero,
07:02I can categorically say na,
07:04I still trust him.
07:05And,
07:06ah,
07:06sa akin po palagay,
07:08asset pa rin po siya sa,
07:09kahit sa ganitong pangyayari.
07:11Kasi,
07:12una-una,
07:13hindi lang naman po traffic yung aming trabaho.
07:15May seven month dates po kami.
07:18So,
07:18isa lamang out of seven yung traffic.
07:21So,
07:22ah,
07:23maaaring maka-apekto itong,
07:25issue na to.
07:26It's so far as,
07:28ah,
07:30traffic matters are concerned,
07:32especially enforcement on traffic laws.
07:34Pero,
07:35as to all other,
07:37ah,
07:40mandates namin,
07:41I don't think it will affect namin.
07:43I don't think it will affect namin.
07:43Yung nga,
07:44isunod ka wesun,
07:45chairman.
07:45Anong masasabi nyo ngayon sa mga nagre-react na,
07:48kami nga eh,
07:49parang ganon.
07:50Kami nga eh,
07:52eh,
07:52agad-agin nyo yun,
07:53pag,
07:53pag,
07:54naulian ang peking plaka,
07:56or ano.
07:56Well,
07:58I think,
07:58naman,
07:59hindi naman na-absolve si General Torre
08:01ng,
08:01any punishment.
08:03Just like any other motorist,
08:05whether,
08:06government official or hindi.
08:08Same punishment din naman eh.
08:10Ah,
08:11pinagmumulta rin.
08:12Ah,
08:13which I think,
08:14binayara na naman naman ni General Torre.
08:17So,
08:18hindi pwedeng sabihin na may special treatment.
08:21Dahil una-una,
08:21in-impound din yung sasakyan.
08:23And I think hanggang ngayon,
08:24naka-impound yung vehicle.
08:26Second,
08:27binayara naman niya yung penalty.
08:29Ah,
08:30na dapat,
08:31for the violations.
08:34And,
08:35may condition.
08:36I understand,
08:37eh,
08:37kausap ko si Asif Marcos,
08:40na,
08:41yung vehicle po,
08:42na impounded vehicle,
08:43will not be released
08:44until,
08:45maalis po yung blinker,
08:48maalis lahat yung decals na,
08:51yun nga po,
08:51na hindi po authorized,
08:53na nakakapit doon sa sasakyan.
08:55Pero sir,
08:56within the MMDA po,
08:59hindi naman siya magkahanang disiplinary action
09:01for,
09:02um,
09:02putting the markings sa MMDA
09:04Again,
09:05wala po akong disiplinary authority over him.
09:08Chairman,
09:09for one month na nakalib si,
09:11um,
09:13John Torre,
09:13may possible po bang pansamantalang papalit sa posisyon?
09:17Yes, definitely,
09:18we'll have to appoint,
09:19ah,
09:19an OIC.
09:21kasi,
09:21may mga functions pa rin siya,
09:25ah,
09:25kailangan po yung mga staff niya,
09:26may mag supervise pa rin.
09:28kasi,
09:29si GM Torre na naman po yung nakalib.
09:31And,
09:32sa ngayon,
09:33actually,
09:33maraming nang nakapending sa kanyang trabaho,
09:36na,
09:37kailangan namin ituloy,
09:39kahit nakalib siya.
09:40So,
09:41ah,
09:41I can say naman na,
09:44ah,
09:44habang nakalib siya,
09:45we'll still do,
09:46lahat ng trabaho na kailaman namin dito.
09:49It's just that,
09:50we have to divide,
09:51kung ano yung,
09:52mga trabaho,
09:53may iiwan ni,
09:54GM Torre,
09:56during the time na nakalib siya.
09:58Mayroon na kung ba kayong napilit na OIC niya?
10:01Wala pa pa,
10:02mag-uusap ako po kami ng amking mga officials,
10:05pero,
10:05more likely doon sa mga existing directors,
10:09or sa mga EGMs po namin.
10:12Well,
10:13ako po ay humihingi ng,
10:16ah,
10:18pang-unawa ng ating mga kababayan,
10:21sabi ko nga po,
10:22ah,
10:23huwag po nating i-judge si GM Torre,
10:26dahil lamang sa single incident na ito.
10:29Marami naman po siyang maganda na gawa sa ating bayan na,
10:33ah,
10:34at nagsibi siya sa ating bayan.
10:36So,
10:37sana po huwag tayo mag,
10:39ano,
10:39lahat naman po tayo ay nakakamali.
10:41Ang importante po ay,
10:43natututo sa pagkakamali at hindi na po,
10:46ho dito ito.
10:47So,
10:48ah,
10:49itpap,
10:49nagain lang po isa.

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