US Embassy tells staff to follow traffic rules
The United States Embassy in Manila on Friday reminded its staff to abide by Philippine laws after one of its personnel got in a heated argument with a traffic enforcer over the use of Edsa busway.
In a statement, the embassy said it was aware of the reported traffic incident regarding a member of its community.
“The US Embassy instructs all staff to obey Philippine laws, including traffic regulations,” it said.
An sport utility vehicle with diplomatic plates from the US Embassy was flagged down for unauthorized use of the Edsa busway on Ortigas Avenue around 8:12 a.m. on Friday.
The Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) said that its enforcer attempted to issue a ticket against the driver after he failed to present a valid license, showing only his passport instead.
The situation, however, heated up when another American from the vehicle questioned the taking of the photo of the passport, claiming it was illegal, and demanded the image be deleted.
He also asked the apprehending officer speak to a high-ranking police officer to resolve the issue before it escalated to embassy level.
The SAICT explained that basic information from the passport was needed in issuing the ticket.
“SAICT enforcers acted professionally and according to protocols during the apprehension,” it said.
Despite the tension, the driver received a temporary operator’s permit.
