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Concerned citizens urge Philip Morris to fire executive who mauled MMDA traffic enforcer

Philip Morris’ poster boy in action
Update: Philip Morris announced today that it has “has suspended Mr. Carabuena pending the outcome of the investigation.”

” PMFTC reiterates that it does not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees,” the statement said.

Concerned citizens are asking multinational cigarette company Philip Morris to fire one of its executives who was caught on video mauling a Metro Manila traffic enforcer.

The appeal is being done through an online petition initiated by University of the Philippines professor Prospero de Vera and concerned citizen Malou Tiquia. The petition was given the title “Robert Blair Carabuena is Bad for your Corporate Health.”

“Whether it (Philip Morris) likes it or not, ROBERT BLAIR CARABUENA has now also become the poster boy of Philip Morris International. His behavior is a disservice to the corporate image of PMI and the global goodwill it has earned all these years. We call on PMIU to immediately act on this unforgiveable incident and accordingly fire him,” the petition said.

Carabuena was caught on video by a TV5 camera crew berating and manhandling MMDA traffic enforcer, Saturnino Fabros, who was directing traffic at Capitol Hills Drive corner Tandang Sora in Quezon City last Saturday .

This video has created a firestorm in the regular and social media with many calling for immediate action against Carabuena.

“We do not know the reason/s that agitated him to confront the traffic enforcer. But whatever the reason, this behavior is inexcusable and must never be condoned by a globally recognized company that counts among its values emotional intelligence,” the petition said.

Fabros filed a criminal complaint Wednesday at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City against Robert Blair and his brother, Benjamin.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, demanded a public apology from Carabuena, “not only for Mr. Fabros, but for the entire Authority, which he unjustly and intentionally offended.”

“We at the MMDA condemn to the highest degree the physical assault perpetrated by an abusive and violent motorist on our hapless traffic enforcer who was just enforcing traffic laws,” Tolentino said, adding that the mauling defamed not only the person of Fabros but also him as MMDA chief executive and the whole government agency.

Tolentino also said, “All support will be given to Mr. Fabros in his search for justice in the proper court.”

In a statement, Philip Morris noted that “ Carabuena was on his personal time and was not doing any work in behalf of the company when the incident took place.”

“While the complete facts surrounding the incident are not yet clear to make a full appreciation of the situation, the company would obviously not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees,” the statement said.

Philip Morris also said,”We understand the matter is being investigated by the authorities and we will monitor developments closely.”

The petition noted the claim of Philip Morris International Inc. in its Company Overview that their “employees are one of our greatest strengths” and that its global workforce of some 78,000 employees that hail from all over the world “are highly motivated, talented and united” in company goals.

PMI also claims, the petition said, that its employees are its “foundation” and that it looks for people “who share our unique values,” which among others, include emotional intelligence because “our behaviour and moods affect others” and being “emotionally perceptive to the feelings of others” and “having the sensitivity to influence the moods” of others in a positive way.

(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)

Published inPeace and Order

27 Comments

  1. Philip Morris is giving a lame excuse in that their employee was on “private” or “unofficial” time. Does this mean that the company tolerates employees who have 2 characters, a behaved one when he is working and a “goon” when he is on private time. And the goon is an HR recruiter of the multinational? Maybe we should ask Philip Morris, what criteria do you use when hiring your executives? Dont you ask them to take psychological tests? Dont wait for the time when the public backlash comes right in front of your company door? You might lose your market share in a shrinking cigarette market.

  2. vic vic

    I think it will be better for the Justice system to deal with this fellow first, and the internal matter is between him and his company. If he get convicted in the court of law, then his criminal conviction will Justify his employer to further give the ultimate sanction, otherwise the matter is unrelated to his job and will be a legal predicament on the part of the employer. It is not just as simple as well,you are caught pinching someone on the video, you are fired…Lawyers would be waiting to take his case against Philip Morris.

  3. Mike Mike

    Agree with you on this Vic. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carabuena would welcome such a development if he will be fired by the company for something he did that is not related to his work. He files a case of illegal dismissal against PM knowing he has a big chance of winning the case. And if he wins, he’s gonna get a hefty amount of money for his early retirement.

  4. chi chi

    Aray! Grabe lakas ng bigwas, kinuha ng sanggano sa laki ng katawan!

    Kasuhan na at ng makadepensa si Carabuena sa pambubugbog nya sa MMDA enforcer.

  5. vic vic

    Mike, i Posted in other subject that right now, I am counting the speeders stopped by two officers who set up their speed radars at the front of my house..they did this for the last two consecutive weeks and the motorists just can not learn..they still stopping non-stop for speeders which carries $90 minimum…there were many who protested and few who raised their voices but nobody is allowed to GET OFF their vehicle unless with permission if they wanted to check their speed as recorded by the machine. That way the officer is always in control and no untoward incident will happen that an angry motorist will lose his control…Dozens of this scenario is occuring at any given time, yet so far no motorist ever mauled a Traffic COP>..It will be a suicide…

  6. Bugbog sarado na si Carabuena sa media, social media at media-media. Para na siyang na-ondoy at tinamaan ng siyam-siyam na siyang nagdulot ng matinding habagat.

  7. Mike Mike

    Vic, it’s only here in PH that one can do what Carabuena did and still get away with it. Malas lang nya he was caught on cam.

  8. Mike Mike

    It was found out that it was really Rolito Go who was caught on cam mauling a MMDA enforcer and not Carabuena. Go recently had undergone plastic surgery procedure prior to his escape. 😛

  9. udorotheo udorotheo

    ‎”His behavior is a disservice to the corporate image of PMI and the global goodwill it has earned all these years.”

    Global goodwill making and promoting a product that kills millions every year? Goodwill for such an effective weapon of mass destruction? Ha!

  10. udorotheo udorotheo

    Global goodwill making and promoting a product that kills millions every year? Goodwill for such an effective weapon of mass destruction? Ha!

  11. dan1067 dan1067

    Tingin ko may nakasukbit na bakal kay taba kaya natakot ang enforcer. Wanted for immediate hiring MMDA needs enforcer- must be a BIG-FAT-BULLY!

  12. Philip Morris statement today, Aug. 16, 2012:

    The Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that it will file charges against Robert Blair Carabuena, an employee of PMFTC, 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.

  13. #12, According to the TV 5 staff who took the video, the Carabuenas didn’t see him in the beginning.

    The brother, Benjamin, who was aiding his Robert Blair in the mauling of Fabros, noticed it later. That’s when he tried to pull Robert Blair away from Fabros.

  14. chi chi

    Kung hindi pala nakita na may camera, baka patay na si Fabros sa laki ng mga katawan ng magkapatid na kalabaw na nambubugbog sa kanya.

  15. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    WARNING:

    CARABUENA has detrmined that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your BRAIN.

  16. Tilamsik Tilamsik

    Ang tanda tanda na ni Mang Saturninio sinampal sampal mu pa..??? Bwisit ka wala kang galang sa matatanda,

    dapat pasalamat kapa kay Mang Saturnino nilalayo kanya sa aksidente, dapat binigyan mo sya ng……sang kaha ng PHILIPP MORRIS number one in menthol.

  17. saxnviolins saxnviolins

    # 15

    Suspension lang? Si Michael Jackson terminated ang contract with Pepsi. Same with Kobe Bryant.

    Si Pacquiao namiligro ang mga endorsement dahil anti-bading.

    Yan? Indispensable ba yan sa Philip Morris?

  18. saxnviolins saxnviolins

    In the US, there was the case of a woman attendee or something in a school bus, who was bullied by teenagers. The bullying was caught on youtube.

    Anong ginawa ng mga concerned citizens, naambag-ambag, to give the woman a vacation.

    Magkano inabot ang mga donations? $648,000.

    theweek.com/article/index/229781/should-the-bullied-bus-lady-keep-her-six-figure-donations

    So what are we waiting for? Ulirang ama yang si Saturnino di ba? Ipinagluluto pa ang mga anak. That’s a real macho for me; one whose strength is defined by being a good father, not being a good madafaka.

    Madafaka ka sanang baboy ka.

  19. chi chi

    Kuha na sa camera suspension lang. Ano ba worth ng kalabaw na Carabuena sa Phillip Morris? Dafuq si Carabuena, ganun din ang Phillip Morris.

  20. dan1067 dan1067

    re #15 During the mauling, Mr. Carabuena was on his personal time and not on duty for the company at the time.

    Sa inasta ng hippopotamus na ito mahirap paniwalaang walang inapakang tao sa ilalim niya sa loob ng kumpanya.

  21. dan1067 dan1067

    #22
    chi mabuti kung totoong suspendido nga. Ang tawag diyan bakasyon at palamig muna pero tuloy ang suweldo at benepisyo ni kupal. Sa laki ng bodega ng mamang ito e bosing na bosing este baboy na baboy ang dating.

  22. udorotheo udorotheo

    “PMFTC reiterates that it does not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees.”
    PMFTC considers inappropriate one employee verbally abusing and slapping one person who happens to be an authority figure.
    Yet PMFTC considers appropriate what all its employees do everyday, which is promoting and selling a product that harms human health and the environment and kills at least 240 Filipinos everyday.
    Hoy, PMFTC, hindi kami gago.

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