Chinese ambassador apologizes to MMDA over traffic row

MANILA, Philippines - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino accepted yesterday the apology of the Chinese embassy for the involvement of one of its diplomats in a traffic altercation on April 5.

In a letter dated April 9, Ambassador Ma Keqing expressed her apology for the incident concerning first secretary Wang Ben.

“I welcome this respectable act by the honorable Ambassador Ma Keqing, and I thank her for not tolerating the misconduct committed by an embassy official,” Tolentino said.

Last April 5, Wang rear-ended Tolentino’s car along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City then tried to escape by speeding toward Taft Avenue. Tolentino said he personally chased the vehicle. He said Wang even evaded a dragnet by traffic enforcers assigned near the Light Rail Transit station along Gil Puyat Avenue.

Tolentino said Wang, who showed a photocopy of his identification card, hit his car apparently because he was irritated by the slow-moving traffic.

In her letter to the MMDA, Ma said all the staff of the Chinese embassy have been reminded to strictly observe traffic rules.

Tolentino said Ma’s gesture is “highly appreciated. I just hope that incidents like that won’t happen again, even as we adhere to the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations. Let’s just forgive and forget.”