Metro Manila, Philippines – Senior police officials were among passengers of the convoy flagged by transport regulators on the dedicated Epifanio delos Santo Ave. (EDSA) bus lane, the Philippine National Police said on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
On Tuesday, a video from the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) showed its personnel flagging sports utility vehicles (SUVs) on the EDSA busway.
In a video released on Tuesday, Feb. 25, a police officer said the convoy had to get to the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City for an emergency. The SAICT personnel argued there was no prior coordination about the use of the bus lane.
In a press briefing, PCol Randulf Tuaño, public information office chief, confirmed there was an emergency operation that police officers had to attend to at the national headquarters on Tuesday.
He did not identify the police officials involved. In the viral video, the officer said it was PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil’s convoy.
“Iyong normal procedure kung ikaw ay mahuli isyuhan ka ng ticket, hindi mo kailangang ipangalandakan sa mundo iyong plate number, pangalan ng mga nahuli mo,” Tuaño said.
[Translation: The normal procedure if you get caught is that you will be issued a ticket. You don’t need to broadcast to the world your plate number or the names of the people you caught.]
Tuaño said there’s a need for the PNP, Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to discuss the use of the bus lane during an emergency.
“Kung emergency nga po, palagay ko wala nang panahon para magkaroon ng prior coordination para sa paggamit ng bus lane,” he said.
[If it’s an emergency, I don’t think there’s time for prior coordination to use the bus lane.]
No authority to violate
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he asked Marbil to appear in an emergency meeting on a kidnapping case.
“Kung ano man ang methodology niya para pumunta doon, let me make it clear na I did not give instructions to violate any traffic laws,” he said.
[Translation: Whatever his methodology was to get there, let me make it clear that I did not give instructions to violate any traffic laws.]
The interior chief said there should be zero tolerance on officials illegally using the busway.
“It will be investigated whether it is abuse of authority or not,” Remulla said.
The DOTr has yet to issue a statement, but in a press briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 25, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon reminded unauthorized government officials not to use the special bus lane.
The busway is only open to on-duty ambulances, fire trucks, and police and service vehicles. It may be used by key officials such as the president, vice president, Senate president, House speaker, and chief justice.
