Transportation Official Removed After Controversial Ambulance Incident
AMBULANCE – A Department of Transportation official has been removed from his post after stopping an ambulance transporting a stage 4 cancer patient along the EDSA Busway.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has dismissed an official of the Special Action Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) after he flagged down an on-duty ambulance at the EDSA Busway-Santolan Station.
According to a memorandum released by the DOTr on Wednesday, February 18, the official identified as Rayson Dela Torre stopped the ambulance on Tuesday, February 17. The vehicle was reportedly using the EDSA Busway to bring a patient diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to a scheduled medical check-up. The official reasoned that the trip did not qualify as an emergency situation.
“Hindi po natin tatanggapin na rason ‘yung magpapa-check up ‘yung pasahero sapagkat eto naman po ay naka-schedule na sa kani-kanilang ospital na pupuntahan. Ang papayagan na lang po natin ay iyong mga nag-aagaw-buhay na mga pasyente,” Dela Torre explained to the media.
The DOTr noted, however, that despite being stopped, the ambulance was eventually allowed to proceed along the EDSA Busway after the brief incident.
In response to the controversy, DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez clarified the department’s policy regarding ambulances using the busway. He emphasized that all on-duty ambulances are permitted to pass through the EDSA Busway, regardless of the medical condition of the patient they are transporting.
As a show of solidarity with the patient’s family, the DOTr directed Dela Torre to issue an explanation regarding the incident. The department also launched a thorough investigation to review the circumstances surrounding the event and to ensure that proper protocols are consistently followed.
Following the initial findings, Dela Torre was officially removed from his post as Special Operations Group Head of the EDSA Busway. The move, according to the department, aims to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future and to reinforce clear guidelines for personnel assigned to monitor the busway.
In addition, the DOTr-SAICT has been instructed to conduct a reorientation program for the personnel who will replace him, ensuring that all members are fully informed about the rules and policies governing emergency vehicles and busway operations.
