By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III has taken a leave of absence following an incident involving a vehicle allegedly using the EDSA Busway.
The MMDA confirmed Tuesday, September 8, that Torre began his leave but said additional details about the arrangement would be released later in the day.
The development followed disclosures by MMDA Chairperson Don Artes that Torre acknowledged owning the sport utility vehicle (SUV) seen traveling along the restricted EDSA Busway.
The issue also prompted the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to issue a show-cause order after the vehicle was found carrying a license plate that appeared in government records as belonging to the MMDA.
The LTO said Torre voluntarily surrendered an MMDA patrol vehicle after the order was issued.
On Monday, the agency announced that it had revoked the driver’s license of the person operating Torre’s SUV. The LTO said its investigation showed that the plate attached to the vehicle did not correspond with its records, while the SUV itself was registered as a private vehicle.
The incident has drawn attention because the EDSA Busway is intended for authorized vehicles and public transportation.
The Inquirer reported that it had sought Torre’s response to the controversy, but no comment had been received at the time of publication.
ia/xf
