Boxing icon and former Senator Manny Pacquiao has dismissed his service driver after the latter attempted to evade authorities when flagged for unauthorized use of the EDSA Busway.
“You won’t see that person with me anymore. I told him to stay behind and not to come with us,” Pacquiao told reporters on Tuesday.
Pacquiao also reprimanded his security team upon learning about the incident.
“I already told my chief security officer that what they did was wrong, and I scolded them repeatedly. I even ordered them to go back and get the ticket because it was embarrassing—why would they run away?” he said.
Pacquiao’s camp issued an apology following the controversy.
The Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) reported that two vehicles linked to Pacquiao’s security detail were caught using the restricted busway over the weekend.
One of the vehicles initially stopped but later sped off instead of complying with traffic enforcers. However, the van eventually returned, and the convoy was issued violation tickets for disregarding traffic signs and the illegal use of blinkers.
