photo from the SAICT video
The number “7” protocol plate attached to the white sports utility vehicle (SUV) in a viral video of its driver who tried to run over a lady enforcer of the EDSA Busway and its passenger who gave a middle finger after successfully eluding arrest could be fake, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Sunday, Nov 4.
In a statement, the LTO said the initial investigation disclosed that there was no protocol plate, including the number 7 which is assigned to senators, issued to the type of SUV that was seen in the viral video.
“Similar to our active response to incidents reported by the public and those posted on social media, your Land Transportation Office (LTO) has already taken the initiative of looking into this viral video based on the report of our monitoring team,” the statement read.
“The initial information we have based on the assessment of the pieces of evidence at hand is that there was no protocol plate issued to the particular SUV that was seen in the viral video,” it added.
The LTO said they are now coordinating with the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr-SAICT) for more information that could lead to the identification of the registered owner of the vehicle.
The coordination includes getting information on the two SAICT enforcers on the license plate or conduction sticker of the SUV, and other identifying marks, as they were the ones who approached the vehicle.
Based on the SAICT statement, the incident happened around 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the northbound lane portion of the EDSA Busway in Guadalupe, Makati.
A female SAICT enforcer tried to stop the vehicle after it entered the EDSA Busway but instead of cooperating, the driver tried to run her over and later put the vehicle on the reverse on the way to the exit point of the Busway.
As soon as it got out of the Busway, one of the passengers raised his hand and gave the enforcers a middle finger.
The LTO vowed to identify the registered owner and the driver of the vehicle.
“We assure the public that a Show Cause Order (SCO) will be issued to the registered owner and the driver of the SUV involved in the soonest possible time for them to explain the string of violations we already identified based on our existing laws and rules and regulations, including disregarding traffic signs and improper person to operate a motor vehicle,” the statement read.
It said they will also coordinate with the office of Senate President Chiz Escudero on the progress of the investigation.
“Meanwhile, we would like to remind all motorists that utter disregard of the law and the existing rules and regulations on road safety will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly,”