MANILA – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday clarified that its CCTV footage of a white SUV with protocol plate number ‘7’ was promptly released to requesting parties and was not withheld.
In a statement, MMDA Chair Don Artes said that there was no attempt to “withhold or hide anything related to the incident” and that all requests for the footage were granted within “minutes.”
“We granted the Department of Transportation (DOTr) – Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) request for the CCTV footage on the same day, and also provided the footage to the DOTr, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the office of Senator Raffy Tulfo, through his staff Atty. Angel Marasigan, the following day, Nov. 4,” Artes said.
He explained that the apparent miscommunication with Tulfo had been addressed, and the senator had called for a further review of the footage to verify from which area of the busway the SUV entered and exited, and whether it re-entered the busway after fleeing.
Artes added that no MMDA personnel have been deployed on the busway since their withdrawal on June 30. The management of the busway was subsequently transferred exclusively to the DOTr-SAICT, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
“The MMDA’s decision to withdraw its personnel assigned to the EDSA busway was based on the agency’s need to augment its personnel deployment due to the rerouting caused by the ongoing rehabilitation of flyovers and bridges along EDSA,” he said.
On Wednesday, the LTO identified the driver of the white Cadillac Escalade with protocol plate number ‘7’ as Angelito Edpan. The vehicle is registered under Orient Pacific Corp. (OPC).
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records show that two companies with the same name, OPC, are linked to billionaire entrepreneur William Gatchalian and other family members. (PNA)
