Stephen Speaks' post on dodging a supposed traffic violation in Manila draws mixed reaction

Manila has strict traffic implementation, but realistically speaking, in this country, one can always find ways to dodge a violation ticket. 

One prime example is the encounter of the American acoustic pop band Stephen Speaks. 

In their Facebook post on Feb. 17, the band shared that their Grab driver was flagged by a traffic enforcer for a violation, but they were able to get past it with a favor. 

They wrote, "Our Grab (like Uber) driver just got pulled in Manila for running a red light, and my tour crew bribed him with a selfie with me to let us go.” It added, “He said he sings Passenger Seat at the karaoke bar."

After granting the favor, they were able to resume as usual to their journey. “I was like…. I can’t believe that actually worked,” they said. 

The post garnered mixed reactions from netizens. Although most found the interaction funny, some expressed their dismay, pointing out the privilege of them being famous public figures. 

In a now-edited post, the band clarified the encounter, they wrote: “The kid driving us showed the officer on his dash cam that he was clear of the light, someone stopped in front of him and that’s why he didn’t make it all the way through,” they explained, adding, “You all need to chill out, we aren’t criminals here.” 

They furthered, “I saved that kid from a traffic ticket he didn’t deserve. It’s like the replay in a sports game when the referee realizes he saw it wrong,” they continued. “I offered to pay the traffic ticket for the kid because he didn’t do anything wrong. You haters need to relax.” 

One user named Mike Santos commented, “I wish the people from the govt could see this and give you a gift that you will regret” 

In response, the band wrote, “Dude, the kid was just driving normal. Relax. He was clear of that light,” frontman Rockwell Ryan Ripperger replied. “It’s just a traffic ticket. I even offered to pay it before the officer saw the dash cam footage and 14 motorcycles cut him off.” 

“We did nothing wrong, and justice was served proper the way it is supposed to be. Except for all the motorcycles breaking the laws who got away with it,” he stressed. “Go focus your anger on them.” 

Further clarifying the situation, the band expressed their apologies, adding that they do not have ill intentions with the post. They wrote, “Hi everyone. Thanks for reaching out but we're moving on from this. We did not mean anything by this. It was just a poor choice of words on our part.” 

They furthered, “It was done in jest that resulted in this. We apologize to all who have been bothered by this seeming disregard for authority,” they said, stressing that they respect the Philippine authorities. 

Stephen Speaks is known for their hit song Passenger Seat and Out Of My League. They are doing mall shows in Manila until Feb. 19.