Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Thursday condemned the mauling of a disabled traffic volunteer by a group of teenagers in what appeared to be a minor traffic spat last Sunday.
Estrada also offered assistance to the family of traffic volunteer Ricardo Cabuluson, including the payment of his hospital expenses, as he tasked police and the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau to investigate the incident.
Cabuluson, 35, works as a traffic volunteer of MTPB.
Cabuluson has since become an Internet sensation when one of Estrada’s Facebook fan pages (Manila Mayor Joseph Erap Estrada) posted a video showing Cabuluson manning traffic at the corner of Quirino Avenue Extension and Zamora Street in Paco in the heat of the sun and still carrying his crutches.
“This is an unfortunate incident that should not have happened in the first place. We must teach our children how to respect other people, and it is never right to resort to violence to settle differences,” Estrada said, referring to the eight minors who attacked the hapless traffic volunteer.
Cabuluson, he stressed, is “a hero in his own right” for helping the city government manage the flow of traffic in the city’s major thoroughfares.
“His help is invaluable. He deserves all the respect and gratitude,” Estrada added. “We need everyone’s support in resolving our traffic problems, that’s why we even tap ‘mommy’ traffic enforcers to assist us.”
Estrada directed MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza to look into the plight of Cabuluson and coordinate with police in identifying an older brother of one of the minors involved who struck the victim in the head during the melee.
The suspect has fled to Cavite while seven of the eight teenagers have been turned over to the barangay, according to MTPB-Barangay Traffic and Assistance Group project director Elvis Allan Patao.
According to Patao, Cabuluson was directing traffic along San Gregorio Street in Paco at around 9:30 pm of August 20 when he encountered a group of about eight teenagers in bicycles. He waved for the riders to stop but was only ignored. After a few minutes, the teenagers returned, accompanied by at least two adults, and started beating up the hapless traffic volunteer until he collapsed.
The incident was captured on CCTV.
Cabuluson sustained multiple cuts and contusions and was brought to the Ospital ng Maynila, where doctors had to make six stitches on his head.
Netizens have praised Cabuluson for his dedication to duty despite his handicap.
“I’m aghast that someone would even think of hurting a physically handicapped person like Mr. Cabuluson, when he was only fulfilling his duties as a traffic volunteer,” Estrada said.
Since its posting on August 16, Cabuluson’s video has gone viral, reaching 63,198 people and garnering over 1,300 “likes” and 298 shares.
“I have ordered the police to investigate this and hunt down all those responsible,” he announced.
Barangay officials have secured a CCTV footage of the incident and is now being reviewed by police investigators. It was known that one of the minors was a nephew of a local barangay kagawad.