A white sports utility vehicle, bearing the license plate No. 7 commonly assigned to Philippine senators, reportedly attempted to run over a female traffic enforcer after being stopped for illegally driving inside the bus lane on EDSA Sunday evening.
The incident occurred around 6:28 p.m. near Guadalupe Station on EDSA’s northbound lane, as recorded in an online post by the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT).
According to the post, DOTr-SAICT Secretariat Sarah Barnachea noticed the SUV in the restricted bus lane while assisting buses. When Barnachea approached the vehicle to verify the driver’s identity, the driver allegedly tried to run her over and evade capture. Secretariat Reyno, another traffic enforcer, joined Barnachea in attempting to apprehend the SUV driver and its passengers. Despite their efforts, the driver managed to reverse the vehicle and escape through an open barrier. A passenger in the back seat allegedly made a disrespectful gesture as they fled.
The DOTr’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee stated that a video of the incident will be submitted to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for further investigation and issuance of a Show Cause Order.
“We condemn the actions of the driver and passenger involved in this incident,” said Jonathan Gesmundo, Executive Assistant to the DOTr Secretary. “Our officers were simply doing their jobs to maintain order and ensure smooth traffic flow. We will work closely with the authorities to identify and hold the responsible individuals accountable.”
