THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) today issued traffic violation tickets to the two drivers who tagged Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. for illegal use of the EDSA Bus lane on Wednesday.
The two drivers appeared before MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes at the MMDA Head Office in Pasig City on Thursday afternoon.
Atty. Artes ordered the issuance of traffic violation tickets to the two drivers for violating the EDSA Bus Lane regulation. He also took the time to ask the two drivers what really transpired during the agency’s operations.
The two drivers admitted that Senator Revilla was not onboard their vehicle when they were flagged down by traffic enforcers implementing the EDSA Bus Lane regulation. Also, Revilla is not the owner of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, the apprehending officers admitted that he did not personally see Sen. Revilla inside the vehicle and just relied on the statement of its driver who name-dropped Sen. Revilla.
Atty. Artes said the owner of the vehicles reached out to him through their 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,” said Atty. Artes.
He said the MMDA has penalized the drivers for violating the EDSA Bus Carousel Lane regulation, with P5000 as first offense, but it is up to Senator Revilla to file the necessary charges against them for name-dropping him.
Pending an investigation, Artes has ordered the preventive suspension against New Task Force Special Operations Unit Head Bong Nebrija after he erroneously implicated Sen. Revilla for passing through the EDSA bus lane.
Artes said that Nebrija was suspended “not because he was doing his job but because he went overboard” when they conducted the operations.
Artes was joined by MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations Asec. David Angelo Vargas, Atty. Victor Nuñez, Traffic Discipline Office-for Enforcement Director and traffic enforcers.
