Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando 'Don' Artes said on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 15, that MMDA Task Force Special Operations Chief Bong Nebrija will be put under preventive suspension starting Thursday.
This comes after the report that MMDA personnel allegedly stopped the convoy of Senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla for using the exclusive EDSA Bus Carousel lane.
"In the meantime, we suspened Col. Bong dahil may mga pagkakamali siya, may mga lapses, and asahan po ninyo na aayusin po naming mabuti tulad ng paggamit ng body camera," Artes said during a press conference with Nebrija and Revilla in Senate.
"Siguro naman, sa laki ng penalty na ipinapataw namin, is enough punishment for us," he added.
Artes apologized to Revilla, noting that the incident would not happen again.
"Ina-admit po namin 'yan na pagkakamali ng aming ahensya kaya po kami nandito ngayon para humingi ng tawad kay Senator Bong at linawin at linisin yung kaniyang pangalan dahil sa maling akusayon," the MMDA Chief said.
"Senator Bong, on behalf of our agency, ako po mismo personal na humihingi ng sorry sa inyo, as I've said, iimbestigahan po namin yung nangyare," he added.
Nebrija, on the other hand, said he would take account of the incident and accept Artes' decision to suspend him.
"I accept the responsibility; kung isusupend ako ni Chairman, so be it," he said.
Artes clarified that the preventive suspension is not the penalty to give way to the investigation.
Meanwhile, Revilla accepted the agency's apology and withdrew his statement to recall MMDA's budget approval in the Senate.
