Emergency meetings not counted as an excuse to use EDSA busway — Palace

February 27, 2025 | 7:23pm

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday, February 27, made itself clear that emergency meetings do not count as an excuse for government vehicles to use the EDSA busway. 

The convoy of Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil was stopped and ticketed for using the exclusive bus lane on February 25. There are only a few exemptions to the use of the EDSA busway, which includes emergencies. 

Marbil has called his convoy’s use of the EDSA bus lane as an emergency. At the time, the police were also looking for a kidnapped, 14-year-old Chinese national. The authorities have neither confirmed nor denied that this was the incident that required the supposed emergency meeting. 

Either way, the Palace made itself clear: emergency meetings do not count as emergencies. 

“Kapag po kasi sinabi natin na miyembro ng PNP, ambulansya, fire truck – hindi po kasama doon iyong emergency meeting. Kung may emergency meeting, mas maganda po umalis sila nang maaga sa kanilang bahay,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing. 

(If we say that it’s a member of the PNP, ambulances, fire trucks — emergency meetings are not included there. If there is an emergency meeting, it is better to leave their houses earlier.) 

Castro said there is already a set rule for the use of the EDSA busway in cases of emergencies, but government vehicles should be able to prove that it is indeed an emergency. 

“Bago po sila gumamit ng busway, siguraduhin lamang po nila na hindi nila aabusuhin iyong ibinigay sa kanilang karapatan na gumamit ng busway dahil gamit lamang ang salitang ‘emergency’,” Castro said. 

(Before they use the busway, they should make sure that they do not abuse the right given to them to use the busway just because they use the word ‘emergency’.) 

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has also made it clear that while he indeed asked Marbil to be in an urgent meeting, he did not instruct the latter to break any traffic rules.