Senator's kin known to own vehicle caught using EDSA busway

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said on Wednesday that the luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) caught using the EDSA busway at Guadalupe Station's northbound lane on Sunday was registered under a company named Orient Pacific Corporation owned by a relative of one of the senators. He refused to provide details.Talking to reporters, Tulfo said the SUV's passenger was going to a resort in Quezon City after landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. He added that the passenger's security personnel were members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).A video posted by the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) showed that the SUV escaped apprehension and "attempted to run over" Secretariat Sarah Barnachea of the Department of Transportation's Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT).According to the DOTr-SAICT, its secretariat noticed the SUV while assisting buses to move forward.She then approached the vehicle to apprehend and verify the driver's identity. However, instead of cooperating, the driver allegedly attempted to run over Barnachea and flee the scene.The SUV driver, Angelito Edpan, surrendered to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and apologized to the public for his violation."I am here about what happened on November 3 in EDSA. I am guilty of violating the law. I am asking for forgiveness. I don't like what I did," Edpan said in Filipino."I did not intend to hurt the enforcer who flagged me down," he added.The director of Orient Pacific Corporation also apologized and said the company would conduct an internal investigation into how it obtained the protocol plate.Edpan was then fined for P5,000 for illegally using the protocol plate, P2,000 for "reckless driving," and P1,000 each for failing to attach the plate and disregarding traffic signs.