The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority suspended its National Task Force Special Operations chief Edison Nebrija Jr. after he announced to the media that the convoy of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. was involved in a traffic violation on the EDSA bus lane.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the preventive suspension will ensure a fair investigation.
Revilla denied he was the passenger of the vehicle that was apprehended.
Nebrija posted a public apology on his social media account: “As the commander of the NTFSOU, I made decisions based on the information given me by my team mates and yes like anybody else I also make mistakes… The buck ends with me and for whatever disgrace my actions has brought the good Senator Bong Revilla and his family, I extend my personal apologies and on behalf of my whole team. To the Filipino people, I fell short I’m sorry.”
Nebrija and Revilla eventually faced each other at the Senate on Wednesday, with Artes mediating the discussion.
Revilla accepted Nebrija’s apology but asked for a recall of the MMDA budget for 2024 that was approved in the plenary on Monday.
“They have to go back to the Senate and explain,” said Revilla. “I will ask the MMDA to explain why my name is being dragged and smeared.”
“My daily commute is from the south to the Senate and there is no possibility I will be on EDSA in Mandaluyong,” Revilla said.
The MMDA in a statement said based on its CCTV footage, the license plate of the flagged down vehicle is protocol plate.”
“We are probing why the name of the senator was being involved,” the MMDA added.
Earlier in the day, Nebrija said he made a decision to allow a convoy to use the bus lane after he was informed by his enforcers that Revilla was on board one of the private vehicles.
Revilla said if the MMDA accosted somebody using his name, the agency should have done its job and issued a ticket to the violator.
The House of Representatives, for its part, said it has not released nor or authorized the use of official plates for vehicles of lawmakers, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said in a statement.
“I am seeking representation with the Land Transportation Office and the Metro Manila Development Authority to apprehend the drivers of vehicles bearing ‘8’ plates and confiscate the expired or spurious plates,” Velasco said.