The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday issued traffic violation tickets to two drivers who dropped the name of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. when they were apprehended for illegally using the EDSA bus lane on Wednesday.
The two drivers, who were not identified, were also slapped with a fine of P5,000 for their first offense as they appeared before MMDA acting chairman Don Artes at the agency’s head office in Pasig City.
The drivers admitted that Revilla was not onboard their vehicle when they were flagged down by traffic enforcers and that the senator was also not the owner of the vehicle.
Revilla said he will file charges against the two drivers.
“While we leave it to the MMDA to pursue legal actions arising from their traffic violations, we are contemplating filing charges against them for impersonating me,” he said.
Revilla said if there was one good that came out of the incident, “it exposed the wrong practice that a single person in the MMDA believes he has the power to select to whom the law applies.”
Artes earlier slapped a two-week preventive suspension on MMDA Task Force Special Operations Unit Head Bong Nebrija after he erroneously implicated Revilla in the bus lane violation.
Nebrija said he allowed the convoy that illegally passed through the bus lane to get off without a ticket because one of his traffic enforcers told him Revilla was onboard the vehicle.
The apprehending traffic officer admitted he did not personally see Revilla inside the vehicle and just relied on the statement of its driver.
Artes said the owner of the vehicles reached out to him through a common friend.
“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,” Artes said.
Artes said that Nebrija was suspended “not because he was doing his job, but because he went overboard” when they conducted the operations.
Meanwhile, Artes reminded senators, congressmen, and Cabinet members they are not exempted from the EDSA bus lane rule.
He said the privilege of using the exclusive bus lane is extended onlyto the President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice.
“The exemption was approved by the Transportation Department,” he said.
Artes said marked government vehicles are also not allowed to use the special lane.
