Sherwin says he never lent out protocol plate

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday belied reports that he was involved in the illegal entry of a Cadillac Escalade at the Edsa bus lane on Sunday night.

Gatchalian said he never lent out his Senate protocol plate to any member of his family.

He made the statement amid reports that his father, “Plastic King” William Gatchalian, was the passenger of the luxury vehicle when it was flagged for using the bus lane near Guadalupe station by the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation.

His father has dismissed the story as speculation.

“I never lent out my officially issued license plates to anyone. The official license plate installed on my car is duly registered with the LTO,” Gatchalian said.

The vehicle was later found to be registered under a Gatchalian family firm, Orient Pacific Corp., where his father and brother Kenneth are ranking board members.

Gatchalian’s office issued another statement yesterday to distance the senator from his family’s alleged use of a fake protocol plate.

“Senator Gatchalian was not involved in the incident at the EDSA busway in Guadalupe and was not inside the vehicle when it occurred. The senator does not own the Cadillac Escalade. The vehicle is registered under Orient Pacific Corp.,” according to Gatchalian’s communications director Ahna Mejia.

“The senator does not own the fake protocol plate of the said SUV. Furthermore, Senator Gatchalian has no connection to Orient Pacific Corp. whatsoever,” she added.