House asks LTO, MMDA to take action against cars with No. 8 plates
Nope, no one's authorized to use the protocol "number 8" license plates intended for congressmen, said the secretary general.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Nov. 15, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the House did not release "8" license plates for the current members of the lower chamber.
“The House of Representatives has not released, or authorized the use of, official plates for vehicles of House Members,” Velasco said.
He is requesting assistance from government agencies in apprehending vehicles bearing the said plate number and those with "expired or spurious plates."
“I am seeking representation with the Land Transportation Office and the Metro Manila Development Authority to apprehend the drivers of vehicles bearing ‘8’ plates and confiscate the expired or spurious plates,” he added.
A senator's car was in the bus lane?
This follows reports that Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.'s car was apprehended and later released within the EDSA Mandaluyong carousel bus lane on Wednesday morning. According to Ret. Col. Bong Nebrija, head of the Task Force Special Operations (TFSO), traffic enforcers let the vehicle go when they reportedly confirmed Revilla was in the convoy.
The actor-turned-senator denied the claims, saying he comes from the south and takes the Skyway when going to the north or the Senate.
"There is absolutely no truth to the malicious report that I was apprehended using the EDSA carousel busway," said Revilla.
"My daily commute is from the south to the Senate and there is no possibility I will be on EDSA in Mandaluyong. When attending official functions in the north, I take the skyway from and back to the south," he added.
The MMDA has since apologized to the senator and would investigate the incident.
“Based on our CCTV footage, the license plate of the flagged down vehicle is protocol plate, and we are probing why the name of the senator was being involved," said MMDA. “Likewise, the agency wanted to extend our apologies to the senator pending the investigation.”
The MMDA began implementing stricter bus lane regulations along EDSA last Nov. 13, imposing increased fines for violators. Repeat violators may pay up to P30,000 and have their license revoked.