In case you missed why the EDSA Busway has been a hot topic the past two days, here’s a quick recap: On November 15, the name of Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla was used by drivers of a convoy to escape apprehension after being caught illegally using the EDSA Busway. The issue became public knowledge after Bong Nebrija, new task force operations head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), discussed in a media forum that traffic enforcers on the ground had radioed him about the incident, and upon being told that the senator was on board one of the vehicles, he had made the call to let the convoy through without a ticket.
Revilla vehemently denied the accusation, and Nebrija and MMDA acting chief Atty. Romando Artes found themselves at Senate to make a public apology to the senator, who had at that point suggested a recall of the agency’s 2024 budget.
Though the owner of the vehicles in the convoy has not been named, he has reached out to Artes through a common friend. Subsequently, his two drivers who had name-dropped Revilla came forward on November 16 to take responsibility for the mess.
The two unnamed drivers admitted that Revilla had not been part of the convoy, nor does he own any of the vehicles pulled over in the bus lane. Meanwhile, the traffic enforcers who had flagged down the convoy also admitted that they did not see the senator in any of the vehicles.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Congress: No ‘8’ plates released or currently authorized for use of House members
Embo barangays in Taguig City are now exempt from number coding
The drivers were issued traffic violation tickets for unauthorized use of the bus lane. The new EDSA Busway violation fines start at P5,000 for the first offense, but Artes said that Revilla may opt to file charges against the drivers for using his name to avoid apprehension.
“The agency considers this a welcome development in light of the incident as the agency conducts a probe and determines the lapses in the procedures in the implementation of the EDSA Bus Lane regulation,” said Artes.
In an earlier press conference, Artes also announced an updated list of vehicles that are authorized to use the EDSA Busway.
Nebrija, meanwhile, is currently under preventive suspension that could last 15 to 30 days, “not because he was doing his job but because he went overboard,” explained Artes.
The former Navy captain is known for his EDSA traffic operations, some of which are documented on his Facebook page. Earlier this week, on the first day of implementation of the new EDSA Busway fines, he wrote about three violators who had tried to run away from traffic enforcers in the bus lane, leading them to be automatically charged with the penalty for third offense—P20,000 plus a one-year driver’s license suspension—and a P1,000 fine for reckless driving.
