Ex-beauty queen charged for Asean lane breach
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) filed charges against actress Maria Isabel Lopez yesterday for driving along a lane of EDSA designated for delegates of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
“We accepted Isabel’s apology, but it does not excuse somebody from punishment,” MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago told The STAr after the agency formally filed a complaint against the former beauty queen before the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
In a viral Facebook post, Lopez said she removed the divider cones separating the ASEAN lane from the lanes open to the public.
She said the motorists behind her followed suit as she sped along the ASEAN lane, pretending to be a delegate.
A few hours after her post made the rounds online, Lopez apologized for her actions.
The MMDA, in its complaint, asked the LTO to permanently revoke Lopez’s driver’s license and fine her for violating Republic Act 10913, the law against distracted driving.
“Such shameless conduct and unlawful act of breaching the security protocol during an international event in our country make her an ‘improper person to operate a motor vehicle,’ which would endanger the public,” the MMDA said.
The agency said Lopez deliberately violating RA 10913 as she used her cell phone to document her stunt.
The LTO, on the other hand, issued an order last Sunday summoning Lopez for disregarding traffic signs, violating the antidistracted driving law and reckless driving.
LTO chief Edgar Galvante said they will observe proper investigation procedure.
He said Lopez’s apology shows she was aware of her violations, but the same law that applies to motorists who commit traffic violations should apply to her, otherwise complying with the law “will remain an option, an alternative.”
LTO National Capital Region director Clarence Guinto said they will give Lopez a chance to explain herself during a hearing on Thursday.
He said they have to coordinate with the Philippine National Police on possible criminal charges against Lopez.
For National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde, said they have to study if Lopez committed a “breach of security” or has other criminal liabilities.
Emmanuel Miro, head of the MMDA’s Task Force Asean, supports the MMDA’s move to file a complaint.
He said Lopez could have been killed by security personnel if she had encountered a head of state’s convoy when she drove along the ASEAN lane. –