MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Thursday it was still investigating who fabricated the number “7” protocol plate spotted on a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that illegally used the EDSA Busway last weekend.

The vehicle was registered under the Orient Pacific Corporation. The LTO has issued a ticket to the SUV driver, who apologized for the infraction on Thursday. 

LTO identifies owner of SUV with '7' plate that used EDSA Busway

But the driver said he did not know the identities of the guests who were on board the SUV and added that he had no knowledge of who installed the number 7 plate.

“Preliminary pa lang naman po yung atin pong ini-impose na fine sa driver kahapon. Magko-conduct pa po tayo ng investigation para malaman po talaga yung circumstances na bakit nangyari ito,” LTO Executive Director Greg Guillermo Pua, Jr.

“Considering that the plate is a public document at kanila po itong ginaya, pineke, we are now studying the option of filing a criminal case po doon sa malalaman natin na may knowledge at gumawa ng pekeng plaka,” he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

The SUV’s plate lacked the security features of a legitimate protocol plate, Pua noted.

“Yun pong naka-attach sa sasakyan doon sa video, hindi po ‘yan inissue ng LTO… Ito po ay peke,” he said. 

Pua said the SUV’s driver was ordered to explain why his driver’s license should not be canceled, while Orient Pacific Corporation was asked to justify why they should not be held liable for imitation and false representation. 

LINKS TO SENATOR? 

The number 7 plate is reserved for senators.

During Wednesday’s press conference, the company’s representative said they were investigating how the plate was obtained. He added that the SUV was used to ferry guests and investors.

When pressed if the Orient Pacific Corp. was connected to any public figure, its lawyer Maria Julieta Santos said they could not confirm the names of the directors and stockholders. 

Based on the SEC documents obtained by ABS-CBN News, Orient Pacific Corp 1 listed a certain William Gatchalian as its President and Chairman, Dee Hua Gatchalian as its Corporate Treasurer and Kenneth Gatchalian as its Vice President, among others. The document was dated June 2007. 

Sen. Win Gatchalian has yet to issue a statement. He earlier   denied that he owned the vehicle. 

Edpan, the driver who has been with the company for around 2 years, said no one instructed him to use the EDSA bus lane. 

He said he had tried to enter the lane thinking no one would notice since it was a Sunday. He also mentioned that he was experiencing stomach ache at the time.

Senate Committee on Public Services Chair Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday urged the passenger of the vehicle to come forward, saying all senators were under suspicion until the matter was settled.

Tulfo: ‘VIP’ in EDSA Busway incident related to a senator, should come forward

"And I know for a fact, na wala sa 24 senators namin ang involved doon sa iskandalong yun sa EDSA. Although, I also know for a fact na ito related sa isang senador," Tulfo said.

(I know for a fact that none of the 24 senators were involved in the scandal on EDSA. Although I also know for a fact that the passenger is related to a senator.)

He said the unnamed senator was not in the Cadillac SUV that was caught on video using the EDSA Busway and running away from enforcers.

"Doon sa nag-violate, doon sa VIP, umamin ka na lang. I-surrender mo yung tunay mong driver. And then mag-apologize ka. Humarap ka," he also said.

(To the violator, to the VIP, own up to what you did. Surrender the actual driver and apologize. You have to face this.)

Tulfo has floated the idea of increasing the fines for the use of the busway to P50,000.

Tulfo eyes probe into EDSA Busway incident involving SUV with 'fake' protocol plate

— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News