MMDA suspends Nebrija pending probe on Edsa busway mess

BONG FACES BONG: Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (left) confronts MMDA Task Force Special Operations Unit Head Col. Bong Nebrija (right, in blue MMDA uniform) while MMDA Chairman Romando Artes (middle) looks on, when they meet in the Senate on Nov. 15, 2023. Nebrija and Artes apologized to the senator for dragging his name in a busway violation mess. INQUIRER.net / MAILA AGER

MANILA, Philippines —  Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Task Force Special Operations Unit Head Col. Bong Nebrija will be under  preventive suspension starting Thursday over reports a senator was caught using the Edsa busway.

MMDA Chairman Romando Artes himself announced this decision when he and Nebrija personally went to the Senate on Wednesday to apologize to Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

“Ang decision po ng management when we discussed it kanina, we will suspend  Col. Nebrija pending investigation po kung ano talaga ang nangyari,” Artes said.

(The decision of the management, when we discussed it earlier, is to suspend Col. Nebrija pending an investigation to determine the actual events that transpired.)

“Unang una it appears na may mga violation po kasi bakit nagle-leak yung mga nahuhuli which is hindi naman po dapat…” he said.

(First and foremost, it seems that there are violations because there is a leakage of those apprehended, which should not happen.)

Artes said Nebrija’s suspension may last for at least 15 days to 30 days.

Before this, Nebrija explained to Revilla that he was only told by a traffic enforcer that the senator was supposedly on board a vehicle caught using the Edsa busway on Wednesday.

But Revilla, who already denied the incident, said the MMDA official should have verified the information first.

“Based on hearsay, wawasakin mo yung senador? Paano pa yung maliliit nating mga kababayan?” the senator asked.

(Based on hearsay, you will destroy a senator? What more our fellow citizens who are less privileged?)

Nebrija again apologized to Revilla, saying he had no intention of destroying him.

“I m really sorry. I already apologized kanina. Tao lang po tayo lahat, nagkakamali. E ngayon kung nagkamali po yung enforcer ko as a commander of the task force, the buck ends with me,” he said.

(I’m really sorry. I already apologized earlier. We are all human, we make mistakes. Now, if my enforcer made a mistake as a commander of the task force, the buck stops with me.)

Artes also apologized to Revilla, saying they also recognized the lapses of the agency.

He cited in particular Nebrija’s instruction to just allow the vehicle to pass thru the busway upon hearing Revilla’s name.

“Ina-admit po namin yan na pagkakamali ng aming ahensya kaya po kami nandito ngayon para humingi ng tawad kay Senator Bong para linawin at linisin ang kanyang pangalan sa maling akusasyon na sya po yung nakasakay at kanyang sasakyan yung tumatakbo unauthorized sa bus carousel,” Artes said.

(We admit that it was a mistake on the part of our agency, which is why we are here now to apologize to Senator Bong to clarify and clear his name from the false accusation that he was the one riding and his vehicle was the one running unauthorized in the bus carousel.)

“In the meantime, we suspend Col. Bong dahil mayrong pagkakamali sya, may mga lapses…” he added.

(In the meantime, we are suspending Colonel Bong because he made a mistake, there were lapses.)

In the end, Revilla accepted Nebrija’s apology.