Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified that he did not authorize Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel to violate traffic regulations after a convoy of police officials was stopped for using the EDSA busway lane.
PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil defended the convoy’s use of the restricted lane, citing an emergency closed-door meeting at Camp Crame on February 25. A video released by the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) showed traffic enforcers questioning police personnel about their use of the busway. Marbil acknowledged the incident, emphasizing the urgency of the situation but declined to confirm if he was in one of the vehicles for privacy reasons.
Remulla, who summoned Marbil for an urgent meeting regarding a kidnapped Chinese student found in Parañaque City, insisted that although the police chief was informed about the emergency, he gave no instructions to bypass traffic laws. The Interior Secretary emphasized the strict zero-tolerance policy agreed upon with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), noting he himself does not use the busway.
PNP spokesperson Col. Randulf Tuaño said the police would coordinate with transport agencies to discuss potential exemptions for emergency police operations.
The unauthorized use of the EDSA busway carries penalties ranging from fines of P5,000 to P30,000 and suspension or cancellation of driver’s licenses for repeated offenses.
