(Screenshot from the FB post of Gabriel Go)
Deputy Privacy Commissioner Jose Amelito Belarmino reminded law enforcement and traffic enforcers that while recording videos may form part of their official duties, uploading or processing those recordings requires a lawful basis under the Data Privacy Act.
Belarmino acknowledged that videos may be used to teach the public about road safety, but stressed that processing must be proportionate to its purpose.
“Kung ang purpose po nila ay maturuan ‘yung publiko… hindi po ba iyon maa-achieve sa mga instructional video?” he said in an ABS-CBN interview, adding that objections from subjects,even with blurred faces,could still amount to privacy violations.
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) warned that unauthorized processing of personal data carries penalties of one to six years’ imprisonment and fines ranging from ₱500,000 to ₱4 million.
The reminder came after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) suspended Special Operations Group–Strike Force head Gabriel Go from clearing operations.
Teachers’ groups protested his posting of a video showing a motorcycle-riding teacher apprehended for not wearing a helmet.
The rider had asked not to be filmed, but Go refused and uploaded the clip to his personal Facebook account.
In a statement, the MMDA confirmed receiving letters from various groups and said Go’s participation in clearing operations is “held in abeyance pending the result of the investigation.”
The ACT Teachers Party-list urged MMDA Chairman Don Artes to dismiss Go, citing repeated violations of the agency’s directive banning personnel from posting operations on personal social media accounts.
The MMDA had earlier prohibited such posts in April 2025 after Go was accused of humiliating a Quezon City police officer in a separate traffic violation video. # (RRN)
