Risks on the road, hazards of the job

It is really bound to happen. With stiffer, higher fines and penalties, motorists would always try to dodge and outwit enforcers just to pass through the moving lane along the busway carousel at EDSA rather than be stuck in hellish traffic. These have been happening exactly after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) started imposing last Monday the revised schedule of fines and penalties for violators of the EDSA bus lane.

Under MMDA Regulation 23-002, the imposition of hefty fines for unauthorized vehicles using the EDSA Bus Carousel lane get fines ranging from P5,000 for the first offense and to as much as P40,000 and a possible cancellation of driver’s license for repeated offenses and related violations.

On its third day of implementation of the EDSA bus lane, the MMDA Task Force Special Operations led by its chief retired Navy Captain Edison “Bong” Nebrija got into trouble due to shrewd dodgers of such violations. Based on the first two days of its implementation, Nebrija reported a total of 692 vehicle violators caught and ticketed for using the EDSA bus-lane. A few of these violators ticketed by the MMDA traffic enforcers carried protocol plates because only the drivers were on board and not their principals, according to Nebrija.

With the “No. 7” protocol plate number reserved for Senators, the driver of the lead vehicle of a two-SUV convoy cruising northbound was stopped early morning Wednesday. They were caught after they changed lanes and used instead the EDSA bus way. Rolling down the car window, the scheming drivers supposedly claimed that “Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.” was on board in one of the two SUVs.

Obviously stumped, the traffic enforcer radioed and sought guidance from Nebrija ­– being his immediate supervisor. Nebrija, who was at the SM MegaMall area in EDSA in Mandaluyong City supervising his men, made a “judgment call” based on what was reported to him.

Learning early morning of the news reports, the enraged movie actor-turned politician immediately issued a vehement denial that he was nowhere near EDSA at the said hours. The irate Senator clarified he was, in fact, in Cavite with his wife former Congresswoman Lani.

Nebrija stood by his “judgment call” when he joined us a few hours later in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum at the Café Adriatico in Remedios Circle, Malate. Nebrija deeply apologized for the lapse of judgment on his part. “Nagbiro pa akong ‘idol ko ‘yan (Revilla). Let go mo na,” Nebrija quoted himself as saying when he radioed his MMDA enforcer. “Sana, nagpa-selfie ka (with the Senator),” he further narrated his radio talks with his traffic enforcer who had no body-cam.

A co-guest at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday, Jason Salvador, head of the Corporate Affairs of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) could only mutter in sympathy. “For saying ‘Let it go,’ he (Nebrija) he might get ‘Frozen’,” Salvador punned a line of the song from the popular Disney movie with the same title.

True enough. “A few hours later that day, Nebrija was virtually frozen by MMDA chairman Romando Artes. Accompanied by Artes, Nebrija appeared before Sen. Revilla to personally apologize to the aggrieved Senator. Artes informed the Senator that Nebrija would be under preventive suspension from 15 to 30 days while the incident is under investigation.

Yesterday, the MMDA announced the two drivers in the convoy voluntarily surrendered and appeared before Artes. According to Artes, the two drivers supposedly admitted that “Sen. Revilla was not the owner of the vehicle” and that he “was not onboard their vehicle when they were flagged down by traffic enforcers.”

Artes reiterated even “clearly marked government vehicles” should not use the EDSA Bus Carousel lane, citing a list provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). It included only city buses, and vehicles used for emergency and enforcement purposes only.

In their initial investigations, Artes disclosed the MMDA enforcers admitted reporting to Nebrija what the erring drivers claimed to be Sen. Revilla as being inside the vehicle. For pulling this stunt, the MMDA fined the two drivers P5,000 for their first offense of unauthorized use of the exclusive lane.

Curiously though, Artes refused to name the two drivers who attempted to dodge being ticketed by the MMDA, misrepresenting and name-dropping Sen. Revilla. Clearly, the confessions of the two idiots of pulling such acts are enough grounds for much harsher penalties under the law.

It was tantamount to running away like other EDSA bus carousel dodgers who got fined as much as P20,000 and their driver’s licenses confiscated as prescribed by their own MMDA set of penalties. What gives?

Artes explained the MMDA would leave to Revilla to pursue filing charges against the two drivers-posers. Fine. But what about the other illegal acts committed against the public interest of the greater number of motorists who respect and obey the bus lane exclusivity?

Instead, these two idiot drivers who used the Senator’s name got away virtually with just slap on the wrists.

While seemingly soft on these two idiots, the MMDA chairman went hammer and tongs on Nebrija. While describing Nebrija as “passionate and dedicated” in performing his job, Artes blamed the latter for going “overboard” in naming the Senator. “Names of those apprehended should not be mentioned. It was sufficient that they were given citation tickets. Namedropping could lead to bashing,” Artes pointed out.

As an officer and gentleman, Nebrija assumed full responsibility for his traffic enforcers doing their job to their best of abilities. As far as Nebrija is concerned, safety of all motorists is the primordial concern of their Special Task Force to lessen – if not prevent – serious injury or worse, loss of lives.

Nebrija conceded these are the risks on the roads and the hazards of the job they face everyday as traffic enforcers of the MMDA. We salute officers and men in the molds of such leader like Nebrija.