The Department of Transportation (DoTr) relieved a high-ranking enforcement official of his duties Wednesday after he wrongly blocked an ambulance carrying a cancer patient from using the EDSA Busway.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the immediate relief of Rayson dela Torre, head of the Special Operations Group of the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT).

The move followed a widely circulated news clip from 17 February showing personnel flagging down an ambulance at the Santolan station.

Reports said that ambulance was transporting a patient with stage 4 cancer to a scheduled medical appointment. According to the agency, Dela Torre claimed in an interview that ambulances are only permitted on the busway for “critical” emergencies and not for scheduled check-ups.

Lopez clarified that this stance contradicts a November 2023 DoTr policy, which explicitly permits “on-duty ambulances, fire trucks, and Philippine National Police vehicles” to use the lane without specifying the severity of the medical case.

“Your statement that only ambulances with patients in critical condition may be allowed to use the busway contradicts the existing policy, which neither specifies that only extreme cases of emergencies may be allowed nor prohibits the use of ambulances in non-emergency cases,” the order stated.

In a memorandum dated 18 February, Lopez issued a “Notice to Explain,” giving Dela Torre three days to justify why he should not face further disciplinary action. The secretary also ordered a mandatory reorientation for all SAICT personnel to prevent similar incidents.

The dismissal marks a sharp turn for Dela Torre, who had been leading enhanced operations to clear the busway of unauthorized vehicles over the past week. On 12 February, his team had gained praise for intercepting a private vehicle disguised as an ambulance.

Also, the DoTr issued an apology to the patient’s family, stating that enforcement must be implemented with compassion and assured the public that all on-duty ambulances will have uninterrupted access to the EDSA Busway moving forward.