Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (left) and actress Maria Isabel Lopez. PHOTOS FROM JOAN BONDOC/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, Facebook
Despite beauty queen-actress Maria Isabel Lopez鈥檚 apology, Transportation authorities are still bent on filing charges against her for using the lane designated for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit VIPs and delegates.
鈥淣o one is above the law. Hindi ho ganyan ang pamahalaang Duterte (The Duterte administration is not like that),鈥� Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said on Monday when asked about the government鈥檚 action on Lopez鈥檚 violations.
鈥淜apag napatunayan na siya ay may nilabag, kung ano 鈥榶ung napapaloob sa batas ay gagawin natin. No one is above the law, babae ka, lalaki ka, mataba ka, mapayat ka, may position ka sa gobyerno, pare-pareho po 鈥榶un,鈥� Tugade told reporters at the sidelines of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 meeting with Filipino-Canadian e-Jeepney innovators in Makati City.
(When it鈥檚 proven that she violated the law, whatever the law says, we will carry it out. No one is above the law, whether you鈥檙e a woman, a man, fat, thin, or if you have a position in the government, they鈥檙e all the same.)
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Tim Orbos, who was among the officials who met with Trudeau, said charges for security breach will still be filed against Lopez despite her issuing an apology for her misdeed.
READ: MMDA to file raps vs Maria Isabel Lopez for breach of security
鈥淚t鈥檚 a breach of security among other things and then (violation) of public safety kasi nadamay pa niya 鈥榶ung ibang sumunod (because there were those who followed her) so we can鈥檛 take it lightly,鈥� Orbos said.
Orbos said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has already issued a show cause order to Lopez for disregarding traffic signs, violation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act and reckless driving.
Lopez earlier complained of being singled out, saying that an MMDA enforcer gave her and several motorists permission to use the Asean lane.
Asked if other motorists who followed Lopez would also be charged, Tugade said: 鈥淭hat is if we will identify them.鈥�
Lopez posted videos on Facebook, which went viral on social media, driving through the Asean lane. But the actress explained that other vehicles had already entered the lane before she did. /je