Torre admits to owning vehicle that illegally used EDSA Busway with tampered license plate
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Nicolas Torre III admitted that he owns the private vehicle that was caught using the EDSA busway with a tampered license plate, which has been surrendered to the authorities.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Sept. 4, Torre, a former PNP chief, explained why he used the EDSA Busway.
"Mainit 'yung panahon. And then 'yung dalawang lane na on use ay may sasakyan na nakatigil dahil nasiraan, nag-overheat, or what," Torre recounted, sharing that he had his driver with him at the time.
"So in-overtake-an namin. Pagdating sa dulo ng Guadalupe, tumabi ako doon sa ilalim ng MRT—may parking, may maliit na space, tapos bumalik kami, tinulak namin 'yung sasakyan, tumulong ako sa pagtutulak," he added.
He explained that he personally owns the armored vehicle for operational duties at the MMDA.
"Ang sasakyan ay personal kong vehicle. Noong ma-assign ako sa MMDA, dala-dala ko yan. Although, lately ko lang nabayaran na lumabas ang aking yung CALCO, yung Community Accrued Leave na payment ng PNP sa akin sa retirement ko. Doon ko lang siya fully paid at in the process ang transfer ngayon sa pangalan ko. Armored vehicle kasi yan. Dinala ko siyang armored vehicle dahil siyempre, di ko naman maitago kung anong pinagdaanan ko at kung ano ang threats na, you know, security requirements," he said.
"So, pagdating ko sa MMDA, rather than wait for the government to provide me with an armored vehicle dahil wala namang armored vehicle ang MMDA, kailangan ko ng isang sasakyan na magamit ko sa mga inspeksyon," he continued. "Lahat ng lakad niyan is operational."
Torre said he also uses the vehicle to respond to vehicular accidents he encounters on the road, which he has recently begun documenting on Facebook.
Tampered plate
He also admitted to tampering with the license plate by having a red official-vehicle plate made with a copied number, for which he paid a fine.
"Kaya lang, eto, mali talaga ang paggamit ng plaka. Kasi nga, 'di ba, ang plaka niya is itim eh, official vehicle siya. Nilagyan pa ng sariling blinker which, by the way, binayaran ko ang multa. Dahil walang authorization. So, mainit sa mata kung titingnan, no? [So,] ang mali ko dun, shortcut ang ginawa ko," he said.
"Instead of asking for change plate or replacement plate, na red plate, or security plate, what I did was just, you know, copy galing sa isang truck namin na wala na, hindi na gumagana, hindi na tumatakbo...pinagawa ko sa labas," he explained.
"[I] apologize sa mga tao na—to those who are disappointed in me, I'm really, really sorry for that," Torre added. "Hopefully maraming leksiyon tayong natutunan dito."
Land Transportation Office Asec. Markus Lacanilao said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo that the flagged vehicle had only three digits on the plate number instead of four and that it was issued to an MMDA truck.
Meanwhile, MMDA chief Don Artes told reporters on Friday that no suspension order had yet been issued against Torre, who will continue his duties, per The Philippine STAR.
Torre's vehicle has been surrendered to the authorities.
