THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday issued traffic violation tickets to the two drivers who wrongfully tagged Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. for illegal use of the EDSA bus lane on Wednesday.
In a statement, the MMDA said the two drivers admitted that Mr. Revilla was not on board their vehicle when traffic enforcers apprehended them for illegally using the bus lane. They also clarified that the senator is not the owner of the vehicle.
MMDA said they fined the two drivers P5,000 for a first offense, but it is up to Mr. Revilla to file the necessary charges against them for “name-dropping” him.
“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 MMDA Acting Chairman Romando S. Artes in a statement.
Mr. Artes said that the vehicle owner contacted him through a mutual friend. Subsequently, the two drivers met with the chairman at the MMDA Head Office on Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday, MMDA suspended Bong Nebrija, head of the MMDA’s Task Force Special Operations Unit, for allowing a convoy, which reportedly included Mr. Revilla, to use the exclusive bus lane. Mr. Nebrija later clarified in a media forum that he mentioned the senator’s name based on the information provided by an enforcer, even though he did not personally see the official.
Mr. Artes said that Mr. Nebrija was suspended “not because he was doing his job but because he went overboard” when they conducted the operations. — Jomel R. Paguian
