Revilla mulls filing charges against drivers who ‘impersonated’ him

Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla said on Thursday, November 16, that they are contemplating filing charges against the drivers who impersonated him after using the EDSA busway.

The two drivers who name-dropped Revilla's name when their vehicles were flagged down for using the EDSA bus lane surfaced on Thursday before Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Don Artes. Both were issued a citation ticket with a penalty of P5,000 each.

"Chairman Artes and the MMDA assured all of us yesterday that they will ensure the law is implemented and that violators are made accountable," Revilla said in a statement. 

"Sa pagsuko nitong gumamit ng aking pangalan para makalusot sa pananagutan, matitiyak ng MMDA na mapaparusahan ang mga abusado (In the surrender of these people who used my name to evade accountability, MMDA can assure that those abusive will be punished)," he added.

He also mentioned that while they leave it to the MMDA to pursue legal actions arising from their traffic violations, they are contemplating filing charges against them for impersonating me. 

"If there is one good that came out of this, we exposed the wrong practice that a single person in the MMDA believes he has the power to select to whom the law applies," Revilla added.

All this began when Revilla's name was used by two drivers after using the EDSA bus lane. Revilla denied this report, and that he was still in Cavite during the incident.

Edison "Bong" Nebrija head of the Task Force Special Operations (TFSO) who was not within the premises stated that when Revilla was supposedly apprehended for using the EDSA busway, a traffic enforcer told him over the radio that the senator was on board, and his reply was to let Revilla go which was overheard by a reporter.  

He added that he had no intention of ruining Revilla's name and that he made a decision based on the information that was provided to him by the traffic enforcer. 

He is currently under preventive suspension pending investigation of the matter for 15 days or a maximum of 30 days, according to Artes. 

Nebrija and Artes personally went to the Senate on Wednesday, to apologize to Revilla.