Today, November 16, 2017, Maria Isabel Lopez brought herself to the Land Transportation Office to attend to the summon the government agency served on her. This was in relation to her viral post on Facebook last November 11, 2017, where she boasted of moving the cone barriers and invading the Asean Lane (a security cordon) because she can.

See her video’s below.

Initial reaction from the Department of Transportation immediately condemned Ms. Lopez for her actions. DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade was even quoted in a statement sent to the media as saying “no one is above the law, and that all violators should be held accountable for their actions.”

The same statement also said “Ms. Lopez’ actions, which she even posted on social media, does not only show a blatant disregard of traffic rules and regulations, but also put at risk the Summit delegates and other persons who might replicate her actions.”

But today, LTO Chief Edgar Galvante was quoted as saying they have 5-days to decide on the fate of Ms. Lopez. Her lawyers accompanied Ms. Lopez to the LTO and presented her position paper on the matter. Galvante will allegedly review the position paper and come out with a decision within 5-days.

LTO Head of Law Enforcement Services Director Francis Almora, in a telephone conversation with this reporter, said they have to investigate the case first because they don’t know what really happened.

“Our investigation is based on the complaint of the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) and we have no direct knowledge of Ms. Lopez’ violation,” Almora said.

When pressed that ordinary citizens would have had their license confiscated, received a ticket, and attend the compulsary traffic seminar at LTO, Almora said that is because a traffic enforcer already saw the violation and is apprehending because of personal knowledge.

Almora did not reply when asked if viewing a video posted by the person admitting to the offense is already personal knowledge.

Now, it seems Ms. Lopez will get a slap on the wrist or maybe even get away with her antics, because the people at the LTO could not afford the same due process treatment to a celebrity that they accord to, let’s say, a motorcycle rider or an L300 van driver.

And this is what is exactly wrong with traffic enforcement in our country.

Ordinary drivers or riders get immediate punishment from traffic enforcers, most times, even when they did not commit a mistake or the mistake is a very minor one, while celebrities and big shots get away with everything, even if the evidence is right in front of the law enforcers face.

The usual excuse is “due process” and it is bandied about in every case that involves someone rich or famous. Take the case of Atio Castillo and the suspects in his hazing and killing and you will see exactly what I mean.

So now, the government, Secretary Tugade for this particular case, who wants to discipline its citizens and encourage them to follow the law, become puzzled why no one seems to listen to them. They could not decipher the mentality of the Filipino that borders on mischief and felony when trying to get away with almost anything they could by breaking the law.

When the reason is as simple as the case of Ms. Maria Isabel Lopez.

True law enforcement would have used the video Ms. Lopez posted (the one above) against her to instill discipline. Atty. Robby Consunji already posted on his Facebook account the legal maxim that an “admission is the queen of evidence, the video ended the need to prove the act, the audio showed her state of mind.” Atty. Consunji also posted “mala prohibita – the act is a criminal offense because law forbids its commission based on public policy, order and convenience.”

But Galvante and Almora  would not even impose the minimum requirement of traffic law – the confiscation of Ms. Lopez’ drivers license, the issuance of a violation ticket and subjecting her to a traffic seminar – which every motorist who has been apprehended before knows very well.

And if we are to be truly anal about it, the mere fact that there is a video of her using the video camera of her mobile phone recording her malfeasance and posting that video on Facebook, is already evidence of her violation of the Anti Distracted Driving Act, the same law that these LTO officials vigorously enforced even before the approved IRR could come out.

Given all these, these same enforcers and their leaders, expect to be followed and respected by a public who watches them give slap on the wrists to celebrities and rich people while they, who labor through traffic everyday, get the bad end of the stick when they make a slip up.

These people, Galvante and Almora, expect the ordinary people to dutifully follow every rules they have in the book even as they publicly show bias towards famous people? This is exactly why every driver in the country break every damn road rule, because the rich and famous ones get away with it all the time anyway.

And this is the best part of all!!!

Ms. Maria Isabel Lopez just boasted on her Facebook account how her actions even gave her better opportunities in life, things she has been missing for quite some time now but her arrogance just rewarded her back.

And that is the fruit of that sin, to be famous and to make so much money again!!!

And then our law enforcers wonder!