The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) has sent a formal letter to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) questioning the manner in which Special Operations Group-Strike Force (SOG-SF) head Gabriel Go apprehended a public school teacher for an alleged violation.
While affirming that teachers must obey traffic laws and should be held accountable for violations, the TDC emphasizes that its concern is not the enforcement of the law itself, but whether it was carried out with the professionalism, courtesy, and respect for human dignity expected of public servants.
‘In one widely circulated video, Mr. Go publicly confronted an alleged traffic violator who identified himself as a public school teacher after being stopped for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Throughout the encounter, the teacher remained respectful and cooperative, acknowledged his violation, and did not dispute the authority of the apprehending officer. He, likewise, requested that he not be featured in the video, explaining that he was a teacher. Mr. Go, however, responded that the individual’s face would be blurred,’ TDC’s letter to the MMDA read.
The video, the TDC said, drew widespread public attention-not because the law was enforced, but because many viewers, including thousands of teachers, found Go’s manner of dealing with the alleged violator unnecessarily confrontational, demeaning and disrespectful.
‘Subsequently, amid mounting public criticism, Mr. Go published an AI-generated graphic stating that teachers are not exempt from following the law and are expected to uphold a higher standard because they serve as role models for the youth,’ the TDC said.
Meanwhile, the MMDA said they are already conducting an investigation as the viral video was brought to their attention, and that they have also received letters from various groups.
‘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 said.
‘His participation in clearing operations is currently held in abeyance pending the result of the investigation,’ the MMDA said.