A sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a license plate bearing the number “7,” designated for senators, illegally entered the EDSA bus lane on Sunday and nearly hit a traffic enforcer. However, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) stated that the plate was fake.
“Our initial information based on the evidence review indicates that the ‘7’ protocol plate attached to the SUV in the viral video is counterfeit, and no protocol plate has been issued for that type of vehicle,” the LTO announced yesterday.
The “7” protocol plate is typically reserved for senators.
The incident occurred around 6:58 PM in the northbound exclusive bus lane at Guadalupe Station.
In a video shared on social media, Sarah Barnachea, a traffic enforcer from the Department of Transportation Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT), can be seen filming herself while standing in front of the SUV— which had illegally entered the exclusive lane— repeatedly telling the driver to stop.
The driver was accused of attempting to hit Barnachea.
After a moment, Barnachea instructed the driver to reverse from the lane, which the driver complied with. However, when asked to stop again to verify their identities and obtain the driver’s license, the SUV continued to back away, ignoring her requests.
Another enforcer, identified as Secretariat Reyno, assisted. A voice can be heard warning Barnachea to be careful and not get hit by the SUV as it continued to reverse.
A man was seen on the passenger side directing the driver to back up, while a passenger in the back briefly opened the window, seemingly to take a photo or video of Barnachea.
The SUV continued to reverse until it found an opening in the bus lane barrier, where it fled.
The DOTr-SAICT described the incident as a “disturbing occurrence,” noting that a male passenger allegedly raised his middle finger as they escaped.
“Like our active response to incidents reported by the public and those posted on social media, your LTO has begun investigating this viral video based on reports from our monitoring team. It is clear that violations occurred, including the behavior of the SUV driver that endangered the DOTr-SAICT enforcers who were merely performing their duties,” the LTO added.
The LTO stated that they are currently identifying the owner of the SUV.
“At present, we are coordinating with DOTr-SAICT for more detailed information about the white SUV that will help identify the registered owner. We assure the public that we will issue a show cause order to the registered owner and the driver of the SUV involved as soon as possible, so they can explain the series of violations we have identified based on existing laws and regulations, including non-compliance with traffic signs and unauthorized operation of the vehicle,” they further stated.
Simultaneously, the LTO is also in contact with the Office of Senate President Chiz Escudero to submit all information obtained from the agency’s investigation regarding the incident.
LTO officials mentioned that only two LTO plates are issued per vehicle, one for the front and one for the back. Senators must request these from the LTO, which requires essential vehicle documents, including official receipts and certification of registration.
Escudero urged the LTO leadership to identify the owner or user of the vehicle and inform the Senate as soon as possible.
The Senate President also praised Barnachea and Reyno for maintaining their calm demeanor and being respectful despite the situation they faced.
