PNP bus driver, supervisor relieved from posts over EDSA Busway collision

The cop involved in the viral collision along EDSA Busway, as well as his immediate supervisor, have been relieved from their duties, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

“Immediately, last Friday, upon hearing the news, I ordered the relief of two police officers within my office,” PNP Logistics Support Service (LSS) director Brigadier General Noel Vallo told reporters in a press briefing. 

“Walang sacred cow dito, kung nagkamali ka, pasensyahan tayo. Trabaho lang ito. I-explain mo. Kung may negligence on your part, sorry,” Vallo said. 

(We have no sacred cows here. If you made a mistake, sorry. This is just a job. You need to explain if you committed negligence on your part.)

A viral CCTV footage showed two buses heading northbound along the EDSA Busway, according to Katrina Son’s report in “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday. Moments later, a PNP coaster swerved into their path and was hit by one of the passenger buses on the bus lane.

In a separate briefing, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) named the driver of the PNP coaster as Police Chief Master Sergeant (PCMS) Jenifer Bredico. His immediate supervisor, however, was not named. 

During the briefing with NAPOLCOM, the bus driver alleged the cop asked him to surrender his driver’s license and told him to shoulder the payment for the damages to the PNP coaster. 

Bredico apologized over the incident, explaining he swerved into the EDSA Busway to pick up stranded passengers under the government’s free ride service. 

“Kung ang sinabi na lang sana ng driver ng police at kinausap ang driver ng bus na ‘partner may aksidente tayo, hindi naman natin maiiwasan ito, pasensya na. Tatawag lang ako ng proper na policeman, which is the traffic sector of the QCPD to investigate the traffic accident,” said Vallo. 

(He should have talked to the bus driver and said ‘partner, we had an accident. This is inevitable, I’m sorry. I will just talk to a proper policeman, which is the traffic sector of the QCPD to investigate the traffic accident.)

“Sinabi na sana n'ya sa riding commuters, ‘ma’am, sir pasensya na po sa abala. Nagkaroon tayo ng aksidente’. Tapos na sana. Kaya lang instinct ng uniporme namin, may authority. ‘Yun ang problema,” he added. 

(He should have also apologized to the commuters and told them there was an accident. It could have ended there but the instinct of those in uniform is they have authority. That’s the problem.)

Meanwhile, the NAPOLCOM ordered an immediate investigation into a viral traffic incident.

NAPOLCOM Commissioner Ralph Calinisan also ordered the issuance of a show-cause order against another police officer for allegedly writing a “bogus” report indicating that both drivers reached an amicable settlement. The bus driver, however, denied this. —Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA News