Following the viral Facebook post of Stephen Speaks' frontman Rockwell Ryan Ripperger about the red light incident, in which he mentioned that the traffic enforcer was allegedly bribed by the tour crew, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that it would probe the speculations.
The Facebook post led to a social media uproar, and the singer clarified that they were not in the wrong at all.
"You all need to chill out; we aren’t criminals here. "I saved that kid from a traffic ticket he didn’t deserve," said Rockwell. "I offered to pay the traffic ticket for the kid because he didn’t do anything wrong. "You haters need to relax," he captioned the comment.
As such, the MMDA stated that it will cooperate with Land Transporation Office Chief Jay Art Tugade to investigate and possibly suspend the licenses of the traffic enforcers involved.
If Rockwell's account is correct, the agency acknowledged that the fear was unfounded, explaining that cars that "cross on a green light but get stuck in the middle just as the light changes to red should not be flagged down unless given a signal by the enforcer beforehand."
The MMDA concluded its statement by saying that drivers and motorists who get away with traffic violations "due to their popularity and connections and boasting about it on social media are not praiseworthy and should not be emulated."
(1/5) STATEMENT
— Official MMDA (@MMDA) February 18, 2023
The MMDA will investigate if the traffic enforcer who was bribed, as identified in the post of the American pop-rock band Stephen Speaks, is one of its personnel. #mmda pic.twitter.com/b7nddA27U1
