DILG TO PROBE POSSIBLE ABUSE OF AUTHORITY IN PNP’S USE OF EDSA BUSWAY

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday ordered an investigation to check if the Philippine National Police (PNP) abused authority when some of its vehicles passed through the EDSA busway.

The EDSA bus lane is exclusive for buses plying Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.

According to Remulla, he did not direct any police official to break traffic laws, following reports that PNP personnel used the exclusive EDSA busway during an emergency.

In a Palace briefing on Wednesday, the DILG chief said  only PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil could confirm whether the emergency in question was related to a kidnapping case.

“I asked him (Marbil) to appear. So whatever methodology he used to get there, let me make it clear—I did not give instructions to violate any traffic laws,” Remulla said.

Remulla said that he only learned of the incident a day after it went viral on social media. He said he does not know if Marbil was in the vehicles that used the busway.

“I will confirm with him and ask him for an explanation,” he said.

Femulla reiterated that the DILG and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have a firm “‘zero-tolerance policy” on unauthorized use of the EDSA busway.

“Even I do not use the busway,”  the DILG chief said.

“Number one is the regular policy but number two, it will be investigated whether it is an abuse of authority or not. In this case involving General Marbil, I was not aware until after the fact. I was not informed, but he was aware of the emergency,”  Remulla added.

Only the President, Vice President, Chief Justice, Senate President, House Speaker and emergency vehicles such as ambulances transporting patients can use the EDSA busway, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Meanwhile, Marbil defended the police convoy flagged for using the EDSA Busway, saying the senior officials took the lane to attend an emergency meeting at Camp Crame.

“There was an emergency, kailangan ang presensiya ng higher-ups to attend the meeting,” Marbil said.

The PNP chief  refused to confirm if he was aboard the vehicle that violated traffic rules, citing security concerns as the plate number of the vehicles were divulged to the public.

The drivers of the vehicles reportedly returned to the area to receive their tickets after dropping off their VIP passengers in Camp Crame.