EDSA Busway incident: PNP-HPG, US Embassy issue statements

The latest kerfuffle on the EDSA Busway

It appears that the inappropriate use of the EDSA busway by unauthorized individuals and politicians has become the hot topic of every media outlet, many social media groups, and quite a few content creators. Recently, however, there was an incident that involved unusual territory: international relations.

Last week, a convoy of vehicles being escorted by PNP officers was spotted and apprehended using the busway on the way to Camp Crame. As it turned out, the vehicles being escorted had U.S. Embassy officials (with diplomatic passports) on them. When apprehended, one of the SAICT officers allegedly took a photo of the diplomatic passport of the driver of the vehicle using a personal mobile phone, and that’s when the commotion ensued.

Diplomatic passports are extremely confidential and high-security items, and an embassy staffer alighted from the vehicle to challenge the SAICT enforcers. Together with the officer, they suggested (well, insisted) that the SAICT enforcers speak to the PNP General they were meeting with to sort everything out.

The U.S. Embassy was quick to issue clarifications that they instruct all their staff to follow local rules and regulations. It’s a general statement and makes the most sense. What more is there to say?

There are lots of legal ramifications here that only those with proper law degrees can get into such as diplomatic immunity, personal security, data privacy, and possibly even espionage. The unidentified staffer seems to be implying that they’re working for the embassy’s chief of station, which is why they were on the way to the intelligence division of the PNP.

What is clear is that there are many ways this very embarrassing incident could have been avoided. The convoy could have coordinated properly with SAICT (that’s usually how it works), the SAICT enforcer should never confiscate or take a photo of a diplomatic passport if they have no grasp of how important that is (much less release such sensitive footage), and that foreigners should acquire local licenses so there will be no need to present a diplomatic passport. There is actually a process where you can issue a parallel local license with the LTO using your foreign license.

If we were to proffer a suggestion, the officers of a certain three-letter U.S. agency going from Roxas Boulevard to Camp Crame should take Quirino Avenue, then onto Skyway 3, take the N. Domingo Exit, then just use San Juan streets to get to Camp Crame. That’s a much more low-profile route than the EDSA busway.

The PNP HPG, on the other hand, issued a different statement for another incident involving the white van. They said the way the PNP HPG officer responded was just his personal views, and clarified that the association of the name of the CPNP was unjust in this incident. They also clarified that they have no intention to undermine the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT).

What the HPG stated, however, is that the video recorded (presumably) by an SAICT enforcer was done so without authorization. That video has since made the rounds on social media complete with DOTR and SAICT and the Bagong Pilipinas logos.

[UPDATE: Other outlets have reported that the officers in the van incident have since been relieved.