Senator Sherwin Gatchalian did not deny nor confirm that the controversial sports utility vehicle (SUV) bearing license plate No. 7 was connected to him or his family.
The Land Transport Office (LTO) said it has the documents and is currently conducting an investigation.
The senator also refused to directly answer if the vehicle was used by his brother or relative, saying that he would leave it to the LTO to handle the case.
The SUV bearing license plate No. 7 reportedly tried to run over a female traffic enforcer after being it was caught using the bus-only lane.
On Wednesday, Senator Raffy Tulfo said that the vehicle is related to the senator. Tulfo did not give any names and stated that his colleague may not be aware of what his “relative” did.
The MMDA has released the CCTV footage and is cooperating with the investigation.
The LTO meanwhile said it is set to file a criminal charge against those behind the production of the fake no. 7 vanity plate attached on a Cadillac Escalade that passed through the EDSA busway on Nov. 3.
LTO executive director Greg Guillermo Pua Jr., in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, said “considering the plate is a public document, and that they have imitated and faked it, we are now studying the option of filing a criminal case against those who have the (personal) knowledge and the one who has fabricated the fake plate.”
“To impose a fine against the driver is just preliminary. We will conduct an investigation so that we would really know the circumstances why this happened,” he added.
The fake protocol plate did not have the security features of a legitimate protocol plate, he said.
“That one attached on the vehicle spotted on the video is not issued by the LTO. That is fake,” he added.
The agency directed Angelito Edpan, the Cadillac Escalade driver, to explain why his driver’s license must not be canceled.
The vehicle is registered under the Orient Pacific Corp.
Pua said the company was ordered to justify why it must not be held culpable for imitation and false representation. With Rio N. Araja
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