2 airport police relieved from posts over EDSA busway scuffle; probe ongoing —MIAA

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Monday said it has relieved from their posts two airport police while they are undergoing investigation for allegedly using the EDSA Busway over the weekend.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, MIAA assistant general manager Manny Gonzales said MIAA general manager Eric Ines ordered the investigation on the two.

“Sa investigation nga po ngayon, kinukunan na ng mga statement ‘yung mga tao natin. In fact, meron na nga pong ni-relieve na sila. As initial policy po, ni-relieve muna sa position nila and they were transferred for investigation nga po,” Gonzales said.

(We are getting the statements of our employees right now. In fact, some of them have been relieved. As initial policy, they were relieved from their position and were transferred for investigation.)

He said the two are currently on floating status.

On Sunday, the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) said an official airport police vehicle traversed a portion of the northbound lane of the EDSA Busway when it was accosted by an MMDA enforcer. 

The driver, a man in an airport police uniform, refused to present his driver’s license and give his identity, according to SAICT.

When the MMDA enforcement officer attempted to take video footage of their exchange through his phone, the man attempted to grab the phone, triggering a commotion.

According to Gonzales, the travel of the employees was official business.

“Ang problema lang po kasi, ginamit nila yung… bus lane. Kasi talaga naman pong meron directive ang ano natin diyan, pamahalaan, na meron nga po lima lang puwede dumaan diyan,” he said.

(The problem is that they used the bus lane. There’s a government directive regarding five exemptions.) 

For government officials, only the President, Senate President , Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are permitted to use the busway as part of their official functions.

Gonzales said the incident involving the two airport police personnel was “intolerable.”

“Very intolerable dapat ‘yun. Dapat ang sa akin po dito lahat dapat mapasensiya at saka mahinahon ang bawat isa. ‘Yung naninita at saka ‘yung sinisita,” he said. 

(This is intolerable. And for me, everyone should be patient and calme, both the one giving the reprimand and the one being reprimanded.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News