The EDSA Busway has been quite a magnet for public figures lately.
Last week, former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson was apprehended for illegally using the bus lane. Just days after that, an SUV with a ‘7’ protocol license plate—the number assigned to senators—was pulled over. The driver fled before he could be given a ticket, but Senator Chiz Escudero issued a statement the following day confirming that the ‘7’ plate of the SUV was assigned to him and being used at the time by “the driver of a family member.”
This week, PBA player Raymond Almazan of the Meralco Bolts was caught along the EDSA Busway on April 15 by the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT). Had he accepted the ticket and driven off, the incident probably wouldn’t have been publicized. But according to SAICT, Almazan tried to bribe the Philippine Coast Guard officer issuing the fine.
Watch: PBA player tries to bribe EDSA Busway traffic enforcers
“Napansin ng operatiba na naglabas ito ng pera at kinurompot paabot sa nasabing officer,” reads SAICT’s post. “Agad naman tinanggihan at inissuehan ng violation ticket na Disregarding Traffic Sign (DTS) at Failure to carry OR/CR.”
EDSA Busway violators are fined P5,000 for the first offense, while driving a motor vehicle without a certificate of registration or official receipt carries a P1,000 penalty.
On a related note, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) received Chavit Singson’s promised ‘reward’ for the traffic enforcers who apprehended his convoy last week. The former politician increased the amount from the initial P100,000 to P200,000, but despite acting chairman Atty. Romando Artes saying that the donation came with “no strings attached” and would go to the MMDA’s General Fund, an official from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has stated that any government agency is prohibited from accepting rewards.
An Inquirer.net report directly quoted CSC commissioner Atty. Aileen Lizada: “Meron po tayong Republic Act No. 6713. Ang Section 7 po, sinasabi, and I’d like to read it: ‘Solicitation [or] acceptance of gift – Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept directly or indirectly any gratuity, gift, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties of, in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.’”
