MMDA: Fame not a free pass vs traffic tickets

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists using fame and connections should not get away with violating traffic rules, according to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Acting Chairman Romando Artes.

In a series of messages to The STAR, Artes maintained that drivers or passengers who use fame or show alleged connections to influential people, and even flaunt them on social media, should be taught a lesson.

“Fame, power and connection are not free passes to get away with a traffic violation ticket,” he said mostly in Filipino.

“Just a comment. We should also call out the drivers or passengers who get away with traffic citation by using fame and connection, and even brag about it on social media,” he added.

In a Facebook post last Friday evening, American pop band Stephen Speaks, who is in the country for a series of shows, shared that their car run by a ride-hailing application was flagged down for beating the red light, but was freed after a traffic enforcer was “bribed” with a selfie with the band member.

“Our Grab (like Uber) driver just got pulled over in Manila for running a red light, and my tour crew bribed him with a selfie with me to let us go,” the band wrote.

It was unclear who wrote the post, but earlier reports said it was the band’s frontman Rockwell Ryan Ripperger.

“He said he sings ‘Passenger Seat’ at the karaoke bar,” the band member said, referring to the enforcer and the band’s hit song.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” he added, followed by five cry-laugh emojis in his post.

Stephen Speaks’ post was edited, though, with the band explaining that another motorist in front of their car stopped “and that’s why he didn’t make it all the way through,” hence the apprehension.

“I saved that kid from a traffic ticket he didn’t deserve… I offered to pay the traffic ticket for the kid, because he didn’t do anything wrong,” the band said.

Yesterday, the band wrote an apology “to all who have been bothered by this seeming disregard for authority.”

“Rest assured, we respect all the authorities in the Philippines. We will learn from this,” they said.

The traffic enforcer should not apprehend the driver for beating the red light if he drove during green light but got caught on red light in the middle of car buildup, according to Artes.

“If what was said in the edit was true, the motorist who crossed while it was still green light, but was caught in the middle of the intersection by the red light, should really not be apprehended, unless he was stopped by the enforcer to not go through because he would be caught by the red light in the middle,” he said.

Asked by The STAR if the enforcer who apprehended Stephen Speaks’ driver was from the MMDA, Artes said the agency would have to verify since there was no one admitting the incident and there was no selfie posted on social media.