MANILA: The head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)'s Special Operations Group-Strike Force (SOG-SF) will remain with the agency but was ordered to undergo a five-day 'training, mentorship, and coaching' program.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gabriel Go will stay as the SOG-SF head and was instructed by MMDA Chair Don Artes to undergo a program on traffic management, leadership, courtesy, and discipline "with special attention on stress and anger management." The MMDA emphasized that this decision is aimed at Go's self-improvement rather than being a form of punishment.

The five-day training will be conducted by Edison Nebrija from the MMDA Traffic Education Division, formerly the chief of the MMDA's Task Force Special Operations. The training comes in light of an administrative complaint against Go for discourtesy toward a police officer during clearing operations in Quezon City on March 25. The MMDA's Legal and Legislative Affairs Staff reprimanded Go for simple discourtesy and issued a stern warning that future offenses would be dealt with more severely.

The MMDA also reminded traffic enforcers to exercise 'maximum tolerance' when dealing with unwarranted confrontations with traffic violators, urging them to maintain diplomacy and observe the highest degree of professionalism in all official dealings.

On Thursday, Go apologized to Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Captain Mann Erik Felipe, whom he had berated during a sidewalk clearing operation. The incident, caught on video, went viral on social media. Despite the apology, Felipe filed a criminal case for cyber libel under Republic Act 10175 before the city prosecutor's office. The MMDA stated that they would assist Go in the case filed against him.