MMDA: Revilla namedroppers no VIPs

MANILA, Philippines — Two drivers who dropped the name of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. to avoid apprehension along the EDSA Bus Carousel two weeks ago are not VIPs, acting Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes said on Friday.

“Those drivers were from Cavite and they carried a student,” Artes said in an interview aired over radio dzBB.

The drivers, part of a convoy of two vehicles, had used the exclusive bus lane since their passenger, a student, was late for class, according to the MMDA chief.

“Because they wanted to avoid being apprehended, they mentioned the name of… Revilla since they came from Cavite,” Artes said.

The convoy’s lead car, reported to be a sport utility vehicle, bore a “7” protocol plate assigned to senators. Artes had described the vehicles as “hindi pang-VIP (not fit for a VIP).”

The erring drivers were issued violation tickets on Nov. 16 and fined P5,000 each for violating the EDSA Bus Carousel policy for the first time.

Artes, in a statement on Nov. 16, said the owner of the vehicles had reached out to him through a common friend. He did not identify the owner.

The incident led to the one-month suspension of MMDA’s Task Force Special Operations chief Edison Nebrija, whom Artes said “went overboard” in letting go of the erring drivers as a courtesy to Revilla.