Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Romando Artes on Thursday said General Manager Nicolas Torre has admitted to owning the vehicle that was recently caught plying the busway at Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa).
‘I think may admission naman po si GM Torre na kanya po yung sasakyan na navideohan na dumaan po sa busway. I cannot confirm kung sakay siya at that time,’ he said in Filipino during a press briefing.
(I think there was an admission already from GM Torre that the vehicle caught on video going through the busway was his. I cannot confirm if he was inside at the time.)
According to Artes, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has already issued a show cause order to the MMDA because the license plate attached to the vehicle appeared to be owned by the agency.
‘Pursuant naman po doon sa show cause order, sinurrender na po ni GM Torre yung sasakyan na involved, at binibigyan po siya ng opportunity na magpaliwanag. So, kami po dito sa MMDA, we will leave it up to the LTO para mag-conduct ng impartial investigation regarding this matter,’ he said.
(Pursuant to the show cause order, GM Torre has already surrendered the vehicle involved, and he is given the opportunity to explain. So, for us at the MMDA, we will leave it up to the LTO to conduct an impartial investigation regarding this matter.)
With the ongoing investigation by the LTO, Artes said this will not affect Torre’s work at the MMDA since a suspension order was not issued against him.In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the LTO said Torre ‘voluntarily surrendered’ an MMDA patrol vehicle following the issuance of a show cause order. The unit was caught passing through the Edsa Busway lane and was using a license plate registered to a different vehicle.The LTO said the vehicle is now currently under its custody while it conducts its investigation