Manila Corrupt police

by Roy Black *name changed

In particular foreigners visiting Manila and renting a self drive car should exercise extreme caution and be aware that the traffic police is utterly corrupt. Over the last years I had several encounters where the police in Manila extorting money for imaginary traffic violations. Usually it starts that I get pulled over by a bunch of policemen waiting at street corners but never from police cars. First they ask to see your driving license. Either an international license or your regular license will do. Than they tell you what you supposed to have done wrong and are about to issue you with a ticket. They will keep your license with the idea that you will bail it out later ,god knows where, and pay the fine and participate in a "driver training"

Of course this would be the official version but not what they have in mind. Instead they expect you to make a private settlement e.g. just pay them cash and no received issued.  Locals of course know how to handle and pay the bribe of about Pesos 200   ($ 4.-) but on my last encounter I lost Pesos 1500 ( $ 30.-) Later my local Filipino friend even told me I should have called them on the mobile phone and they could have brought the level down to normal by talking to the police over the phone.

Some of my "violations " include a case where I crossed an intersection where according to the police  only "right turn" was permitted. My complain that there was no sign indicating a "right turn only" did not count. I was told that everyone knows that at this intersection is right turn only.  On  another occasion I was told by the police that Christmas was coming up and they need some extra cash. My last case was also weird.

Driving down a wide 4 lane street "Makati Avenue" it suddenly becomes a one way street and the traffic is diverted in to P. Burgos , which is a rather narrow side street but eventually joins again Makati Avenue where it becomes a two way street again. Even locals are baffled for the reason of this diversion and are looking for an explanation. Well I got my own theory on the subject.  P. Burgos is clustered with bars and nightspots (Girls can even be picked up there but at a substantial "bar fine".  )  Most likely influential bar owners where able to convince the town planning department to have the traffic diverted in order to bring potential customers to there front door.

Anyway back to my case. Of course I did not know about this one way business and could not see any sign indicating it. So I just continued the road only to be stopped by 3 policeman further down the road. My complain again "no sign" did not count and one of the policeman actually hopped in to my car to show me the sign. So we went back and indeed there was a single sign placed on a building on the turnoff where the one way street started. When I passed there before I could not really have seen it because the view was blocked by an parked delivery van. In any case it was an unrecognized sign by international standard.

Just to mentioned it at one stage I got out of the problem without paying. Again I was stopped for whatever reason (I forgot) but since it was my last day in Manila and my international driving license was just about to expire anyway, I did no feel like paying but rather let them keep my license.  Surprisingly they lost interest and gave me my license back.  Apparently there is some unproductive paperwork involved for the police ,so they let me off the hook since I was a hopeless case and rather spend there time to look for other  "offenders"

From resident foreigners living in Manila I learned that they keep a whole bunch of  "verified copy's" of there international license in there pocket and give those to the police . Of course never to be claimed back so the police can keep them as souvenirs.

Interesting would be if such an encounter with the police can actually be filmed for documentary proof.  Now in the age of small video cameras and even phones can take short videos I would certainly make such a video available to the public.

Roy Black*

Btw. If you rent a car there make sure it has an permit so you can drive it on "any day of the week" To reduce traffic congestion regular cars can not be driven every day, depending on the ending number of the plate. Even some of the major car rental companies at the airport may rent out a car without this permit and you will encounter all kinds of problems.

*I did not use my real name here since I still go to Manila from time to time and don't want the police there to be on the lookout for me.