Revilla to MMDA: ‘Kung may nagkasalang senador o kahit sino pa sya, tikitan nila agad’

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. on Wednesday stressed the need for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to judiciously implement the EDSA bus carousel lane regulation by not sparing the vehicles with protocol plates.

Revilla made remarks after the MMDA enforcers reportedly allowed the passage of the flagged-down protocol plate vehicle in the lane along EDSA exclusively for public utility buses, ambulances, and other marked government vehicles responding to emergencies.

"Wala sila dapat tinitingnan o tinititigan at kung talagang may nagkasalang senador o kahit sino pa siya…Tikitan nila. Hindi 'yung gagamitin mo sa publicity at nagpapogi ka at the expense of what?," he said.

Revilla said the MMDA enforcers should play fair to all commuters and private vehicles in implementing traffic regulations.

"Maski yung mga maliliit nating motorista na gumagamit ng lansangan kawawa din kasi kung nagagawa nila ito sa amin ay magagawa din nila sa mga maliliit na motorista," he said, citing that his name was dragged over the an alleged violation on the EDSA bus lane policy.

Revilla categorically denied that his vehicle was apprehended saying it was "false information."

"There is absolutely no truth to the malicious report that I was apprehended using the EDSA carousel busway," he said.

"My daily commute is from the south to the Senate and there is no possibility I will be on EDSA in Mandaluyong. When attending to official functions in the north, I take the skyway from and back to the south," he added.

At the Senate premises, MMDA Task Force Special Operations Unit chief, Col. Bong Nebrija personally apologized to Revilla after tagging him in a supposed violation of EDSA bus carousel regulations.

"Tao lang po tayo, lahat po nagkakamali…The back ends with me, the responsibility ends with me," Nebrija said, noting that he has no intention to ruin Revilla's name. "Kung nagkamali po, ako na lang po."

Nebrija admitted letting the convoy pass through the EDSA bus lane despite violating the policy.

"My judgment was based on the information that was given to me. We have no intention to defame. Out of courtesy that a convoy was in a hurry, we allowed it. But this is based on a judgment call," he said.

Revilla said MMDA should not give special treatment to private vehicles, even to officials using protocol plate vehicles.

"It would be unfair para sa maliit na kababayan natin na dumadaan sa ordinary lane tapos sa bus lane may bibigyan tayo ng special treatment," he said.

"Ang sakin lang kung talagang nagkasala. Kahit sino pa siya. Kung senador ba 'yan o Kongresista. Tikitan nila at 'wag nilang gamitin sa publicity at pagpapogi," he continued.