MANILA (UPDATE) — Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday urged the Land Transportation Office to name the owner-user of the vehicle with protocol plate number '7' caught using the EDSA Busway and that tried to run over a Department of Transportation enforcer.

Protocol plates with the number 7 are reserved for senators. These plates are valid only during an official's incumbency and may only be issued to vehicles under their name or are officially assigned to them.

Department of Transportation Joint Administrative Order No. 2024-001 requires the LTO Central Office to maintain an updated registry of protocal license plates, which the transportation secretary has access to.

READ: SUV with plate No. 7 drives inside bus lane, accused of attempting to run over traffic enforcer

"The driver violated the law," Escudero said, adding the driver's actions and that of the passenger — who allegedly flashed their middle finger at enforcers — are unacceptable.

"I urge LTO to identify the owner-user of the vehicle and to inform the Senate as soon as possible," he also said.

Escudero said he also expects any member of the Senate involved in the incident to "come forward and instruct the person/s driving the vehicle to responsibly face the consequences of their actions."

The EDSA Busway is reserved for accredited buses and emergency vehicles as well as for the president, vice president, Senate president, House speaker and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Escudero lauded the traffic personnel involved "for keeping their composure and remaining courteous notwithstanding the circumstances that they encountered."

SUV USED FAKE PROTOCOL PLATE

In a separate statement, Escudero said LTO has confirmed that the SUV involved in the incident used a fake protocol plate.

The LTO noted that no “7” protocol plate has been issued for the type of vehicle involved in the incident, he added.

“Napatunayan ng LTO na peke yung plaka na ginamit ng SUV sa video. Hindi dapat magtapos dito ang isyu na ito. Kailangan matukoy ng LTO kung sino ang may-ari ng sasakyan at siguraduhin na mananagot ito sa paglabag ng batas,” Escudero said.

LTO said they will will issue show cause order against the owner of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with plate number 7 after it illegally entered EDSA Busway on Sunday.

In a statement, LTO said, there is a clear violation on the part of SUV driver that puts to danger the life of enforcers of the DOTr-Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT).

“Clearly, there were violations committed and that included the behavior of the driver of the sports utility vehicle that put to danger the DOTr-SAICT enforcers who were only doing their job. The initial information we have based on the assessment of the pieces of evidence at hand is that there was no protocol plate issued to the particular SUV that was seen in the viral video,” LTO said in a statement.

LTO said it is in constant coordination with the DOTr-SAICT for more specific details of the white SUV that will lead to the identification of the registered owner.

“We assure the public that a Show Cause Order (SCO) will be issued to the registered owner and the driver of the SUV involved in the soonest possible time for them to explain the string of violations we already identified based on our existing laws and rules and regulations, including disregarding traffic signs and improper person to operate a motor vehicle,” LTO added.

PINOY CULTURE?

Meanwhile, experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) and Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) believe, the attitude of the SUV driver reflects the Filipino culture on the road.

AAP president Joe Ferreria told ABS-CBN News, the roads are the reflections of Filipino culture.

Ferreria said, in the Philippines, there is a ruling class and there is also a working class.

“Ang nakakatakot dun sa pangitain na yun - ang kalsada kasi ay repleksyon ng kultura ng Pilipinas. That reflects two kinds of classes dito sa bansa natin. Yung working class, karamihan sa mga tao ay ganon at tsaka yung ruling clmakikita mo yung attitude nila sa kalsada. Yung ruling class, eh nagsisimula tayong makakita ng guns, goons and gold- ayaw natin ng ganon, hindi tama sa society yun - that is not a normal democratic society. That is a chaotic society wherein which there is no firm code on law and order. Ang kalsada law and order, yan ang mga una nating sinusundan na batas,” Ferreria explained.

For UP Professor for Political Science Ela Atienza, the SUV driver’s behavior is a clear abuse of power.

Atienza admits that although it is not yet clear who owns the vehicle, its owner should always remind his or her driver to follow the traffic rules because no one is above the law.

”Meron talagang abuse, its not the first time… that this is dapat nga mas mag-ingat, dapat inaabisuhan mo halimbawa driver mo, its an extension of your office eh, part to ng code of conduct ng mga legislators na dapat sila yung unang-una na sumusunod sa batas- simpleng batas hindi nila masunod,” according to Atienza.

Atienza said, this is a challenge on the part of LTO and other law enforcement agency of the government to implement the law equally to everyone even on the members of the ruling class.

According to a Department of Transportation press release, Secretariat Sarah Barnachea of the DOTr's Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation noticed the white SUV with plate number 7 passing through the bus lane on Sunday night.

"Secretariat Barnachea approached the vehicle to apprehend and verify the driver's identity. However, the driver, instead of cooperating, attempted to run over Secretariat Barnachea and flee the scene," DOTr said.

Another DOTr enforcer, identified as Secretariat Reyno, quickly came to Secretariat Barnachea's aid.

RELATED: LTO summons driver who illegally used EDSA busway, claimed to be ‘mayor’

Instead of submitting to the authority of SAICT personnel, "the driver continued to resist and eventually reversed the vehicle until reaching the open barrier, where they managed to escape," DOTr said.

"Adding to the disrespectful behavior, a passenger in the back seat of the SUV raised their middle finger at the officers as they fled."

Video of the incident will be sent to the LTO, which will issue a Show-Cause Order for the driver to explain their actions.