Senator Chiz Escudero apologized to the public on Friday, April 12.

In a statement on Friday, Senator Chiz Escudero apologized over EDSA bus lane breach after the car was apprehended on April 11.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero was in a private vehicle bearing the protocol license plates. The car wore the No. 7 license plate, a vehicle typically issued to senators. It was caught passing through the bus lane in EDSA violating a law which lead to them being apprehended.

The popular and usual black Toyota Land Cruiser used by many politicians was flagged down by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcers and the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) as it used the lane intended for the buses.

“The use of the protocol plate was unauthorized, as the vehicle was being driven by the driver of a family member,” Escudero said in a statement. He also added that he already directed the driver to appear before the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and face the charges.

He would also surrender the protocol plate in the incident to the LTO as he does not personally use it anyway. He furthered, “I apologize to the public and my colleagues in the Senate for this oversight.”

“Moving forward, I commit to ensure that the protocol plates entrusted to me are used appropriately, consistent with the provisions of Executive Order No. 56, s. 2024,” the senator added.

The EO outlines that the EDSA busway is limited to public utility buses, emergency vehicles, marked government vehicles, and vehicles of select ranking officials. This lane allows convoys of the President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

During the incident that occurred on Wednesday, the driver sped off when the enforcers were issuing a traffic violation ticket leaving them his expired driver’s license.

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