EDITORIAL — Setting a bad example

A sport utility vehicle was recently spotted by Land Transportation Office personnel entering the EDSA busway.

The SUV bore the markings of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and had blinkers and a siren, but it bore mismatched plates.

The LTO flagged the vehicle, which later turned out to be personally owned by the general manager of the MMDA, retired national police chief Nicolas Torre III.

After the SUV was flagged by the LTO, Torre surrendered the vehicle to the LTO and paid fines reportedly amounting to P14,000 for the multiple violations.

The SUV driver has paid a heavier price, with the LTO revoking the driver’s license and therefore his means of livelihood. The LTO explained that the driver had also figured in previous traffic violations using the same vehicle. It’s unclear if Torre was also in the SUV when the previous violations were committed.

Torre said he had bought the SUV for P3.5 million from a religious group and had it bullet-proofed because of threats to his personal safety. He then had it customized for his use as an MMDA official instead of using a service vehicle, and admitted having a fake license plate made using the numbers on an MMDA truck.

He used the EDSA busway, Torre explained, to inspect the cause of a traffic buildup ahead that turned out to be a vehicular accident.

While there are people willing to accept Torre’s explanations, his multiple violations reflect on the MMDA and diminishes the agency’s moral ascendancy to enforce traffic rules.

Torre went on a one-month leave starting yesterday and reportedly told the MMDA that he was considering retirement.

His story should impart lessons to members of the MMDA and other agencies with law enforcement functions.

The bar for following traffic rules is higher for officials and personnel working for agencies tasked to enforce those regulations. And all public officials are expected to lead by example, especially in following laws and rules.