The government is pursuing serious charges against veteran actress Maria Isabel Lopez who removed barriers along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue on Saturday and drove along the special lane designated for delegates of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.Metro Manila Development Authority general manager Thomas Orbos said on Monday the Land Transportation Office already issued a summon to Lopez for—Disregarding Traffic Signs, Violation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act and Reckless driving.
“The Department of Transportation has instructed LTO to pursue the case against Lopez. A show cause order will be issued by LTO National Capital Region Director [Clarence] Guinto to her,” said Orbos, who is the concurrent DOTr undersecretary for road transport and infrastructure.
LTO chief Edgar Galvante gave Lopez three days to explain why her license should not be revoked after she committed at least three traffic violations when she forced her way onto the Asean lane.
In a letter to LTO, MMDA lawyers recommended that Lopez’s driver’s license be “permanently revoked,” as well as to bar her “perpetually” from either applying or obtaining a license.
“[Lopez’s] shameless conduct and unlawful act of breaching the security protocol during an international event in our country make her an ‘improper person to operate a motor vehicle’ which would endanger the public,” said lawyer Victor Pablo Trinidad of the MMDA’s legal division.
Lopez was also asked to pay a fine of P5,000 for violating ADDA, a law prohibiting public and private motorists from using mobile phones and other electronic gadgets while on the road.
Orbos said the MMDA is also preparing the filing of other charges against the former beauty queen “considering the breach of security during such a national event and the threat to the safety of others because of her misdeed.”
Galvante said proper investigation procedures will be observed and assured that their decision will be anchored on the truth, and adherence to the rule of law.
The LTO chief assured Lopez that “proper investigation procedures will be observed, and that LTO shall ensure that their decision will be anchored on the truth, and adherence to the rule of law.”
In a statement, the Department of Transportation backed the recommendation of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to suspend or cancel Lopez’s driver’s license for “deliberately removing the cones and entering into the Asian Southeast Nations lane, along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.
The department said “Secretary Arthur Tugade fervently believes that no one is above the law, and that all violators should be held accountable for their actions.”
“Ms. Lopez’s actions, which she even posted on social media, does not only show a blatant disregard of traffic rules and regulations, but also puts at risk the Summit delegates and other persons who might replicate her actions,” Tugade said.
Lopez posted on her social media account a video of herself “driving with hazards ‘on’ at the #aseanlane, I removed the divider cones!! Then all the other motoristss behind me followed! MMDA thinks I’m an official ASEAN delegate! If you can beat ‘em, join them! #nosticker#leadership.”
The Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1982 titlist boasted on her social media account that after she did her wrongdoing, other motorists on EDSA also followed suit as she drove along the ASEAN lane.
The incident went viral on social media and drew reactions from netizens.
Lopez later admitted the misdeed and offered a public apology for breaching the security and for driving in the ASEAN lane on EDSA.
“Sorry to those who got hurt and affected,” she said.
Lopez said she is willing to face the consequences of her act, and said she hopes the other violators of the traffic rule will be punished as well.
Lopez said she was not the only one who went against the traffic rule. She claimed that during the traffic mess on Saturday night, she asked a traffic enforcer to allow her to drive in the ASEAN lane but the enforcer declined, saying her car had no sticker saying she could use it.
Lopez pleaded even more and asked if she could just use her face as her pass.
“Hindi ba pwedeng mukha ko na lang ang pass ko?” Lopez said in an interview with GMA-7.
Lopez said she saw buses and taxis behind her that were already using the ASEAN lane.
She asked the traffic enforcer why the other bigger vehicles were allowed to drive in the special lane.
He, however, had turned his back on her and instead approached the other vehicles who had already breached the traffic rule.
Lopez said that seeing other vehicles using the ASEAN lane prompted her to drive on it as well.
MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said an apology would not get Lopez off the hook.
Pialago also belied Lopez’s claim there was a traffic enforcer at that time. She added three other motorists who followed Lopez have also been charged for ADDA and traffic violations.
In September 2014, movie starlet and model Allyza Agustin also came under fire after she boasted on her social media account that she used the influence of a ranking National Police official to evade arrest for a traffic violation.
The post went viral in the internet and drew mixed reactions among the netizens specially that the model obviously bragged how she evaded the number coding with the help of the calling card.
Agustin posted the picture of the police official’s calling card with a message written at the back “Please assist my EA, Alyzza Agustin.”
In her Instagram post, Agustin stated “Nahuli na naman ako dahil coding but because of you Boss Alex wala ng huli huli. Thank you so much sa napaka useful mong card with matching dedication pa happykid.”