MANILA, Philippines – Tobacco giant Philip Morris’s
Philippine office has suspended its executive Robert Blair Carabuena,
captured on a widely circulated video assaulting Metro Manila
Development Authority (MMDA) traffic officer Saturnino Fabros in Quezon
City last weekend.
The company’s official statement, released on Thursday,
said: "The Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that it will
file charges against Robert Blair Carabuena, an employee of PMFTC
[Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp.], over an incident with a traffic
enforcer that took place on Saturday, August 11. Mr. Carabuena was on
his personal time and not on duty for the company at the time.
“PMFTC has suspended Mr. Carabuena pending the outcome of the investigation.
“PMFTC reiterates that it does not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees."
Earlier, concerned citizens had petitioned the tobacco
firm to take action against Carabuena for his heavy-handed reaction to
Fabros's move to cite him for ignoring the traffic officer's order to
halt at an intersection.
