Riders’ Safety Advocates of the Philippines (RSAP) founder and retired police colonel Bonifacio Bosita isn't backing down in the raging online debate as to who between him and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic czar Edison Bong Nebrija is correct.
For those who don't know, the triggering incident between these two men was the supposed wrongful apprehension of a motorcycle-riding couple along EDSA last March 5 by an MMDA traffic enforcer. The violation? The back-rider wore slippers instead of shoes.
Bosita has sided with couple, insisting that the "shoe only" rule on motorcycle riders applies only to the main rider and not the back-rider. On the other hand, Nebrija has mainly called out Bosita for interfering with the MMDA enforcer's duties, to the point of making the enforcer compensate the back-rider for her lost wage that day despite having no legal authority to do so.
"Sa umiiral na sistema na nais niyang mangyari (due process) ay laging talo at kaawa-awa ang mga kapatid nating motorista kahit na walang paglabag, hindi naman pinapanagot ang pulis o ang enforcer na nagkasala sa panghuhuli (Based on the prevailing system that he wants to uphold or due process, our faultless motorists would always be pitiful and on the losing end because erring cops or enforcers aren't made accountable for their wrong apprenshensions)," the riders' group leader wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday, March 10.
10 March 2021, Wednesday Makikita ninyo sa ibaba ang TUNAY NA DETALYE at dahilan kung bakit hindi ako sangayon sa…
Posted by Bonifacio Bosita on Tuesday, March 9, 2021
As to the alleged act of forcing the MMDA enforcer to pay up, Bosita typed in uppercase letters that he merely "advised" the former to do this.
The whole March 5 incident was recordered and has since been turned into a viral YouTube video. Both Bosita and Nebrija have an active social media following.
In subsequent reaction posts on his own Facebook wall, the MMDA traffic czar underscored the importance of observing the adjudication process in challenging wrongful apprehensions, as opposed to "placing justice in your own hands".
To this, Bosito shared a trending post from Facebook user Dan Torio wherein the latter computed the total "damage" that a common motorist would have to shoulder if he or she follows due process from beginning to end.
Torio said that contesting an erroneous apprehension would cost him around P1,900 based on wages lost (three days = P1,500), certification fee (P150), food expenses (P150), and fare going to the MMDA main office (P100). Torio's post has over 12,000 likes as of this upload.
"Makikita ninyo sa ibaba ang tunay na detalye at dahilan kung bakit hindi ako sangayon sa sinasabi ni Colonel Nebrija na due process (You can see below the real details and reasons as to why I don't agree with the due process that Colonel Nebrija is talking about)," Bosita said.
The RSAP Facebook page also reposted Torio's post.