EDSA Busway flagdown: PNP insists convoy going to "emergency meeting"

The Philippine National Police (PNP) wants to clear the air over an incident that happened on the EDSA Busway.

Last night, a Philippine National Police (PNP) convoy was flagged down by the operatives of the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) for illegally using the EDSA Busway. The PNP then confirmed that the convoy was theirs, and was transporting high-ranking officials to Camp Crame.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) made it very clear that the EDSA Busway is not an extra lane along the country’s busiest thoroughway for VIPs. Though the DOTr has allowed emergency vehicles such as ambulances carrying patients, there are only 5 other people who can use the EDSA Busway: the President, Vice President, Chief of Justice, Senate President and House Speaker.

However, the PNP insists there was a miscommunication between the two government agencies, and that the high-ranking PNP officials had to resort in using the busway since they were going to an "emergency meeting". PNP spokesperson, Police BGen. Jean Fajardo, defended the police for using the EDSA Busway, saying that a high-level emergency meeting is considered an “emergency” and should be allowed under the current busway SOP.

“There is something in the guidelines that if the PNP officers are in an urgent situation and emergency in nature, they can pass through [the buslane],” said BGen. Fajardo during a press briefing.

“Yesterday there [was] an emergency and there [was] an issue that we have to resolve, so the SILG (DILG Secretary) will announce the accomplishment yesterday. We need the presence of our police higher-ups because they had a closed-door meeting and something happened in the operation last night,” said PNP chief, Police General Rommel Marbil.

The DOTr has yet to release a statement following PNP's remarks and the EDSA Busway incident that transpired. But either way, it's another clear indicator of why most existing laws in the country are not being properly observed by its citizens - the government agencies can't even align on a unified interpretation.