The First Time I Was Apprehended For Traffic Violation

It was in 1995, my second year as a priest, and the first year that I learned how to drive, that I was apprehended by law enforcers for a traffic violation for the first time. I was driving an old service car of our convent in Letran Manila. The green traffic light suddenly turned yellow, and then red, as I was about to turn left at Buendia Avenue, at the intersection of Roxas Boulevard, in Pasay City. I tried to step on the break, but realizing that the car had weak breaks and I was already at the center of the intersection, I decided to just go on and make a left turn.

After making a left turn, I saw a traffic enforcer in blue uniform waving his hand to call my attention. I pulled over to the side of the road and the officer approached me and told me that I was beating the red light. I told him that late had I realized that the car I was driving had weak breaks, and so I just proceeded to make a left turn. He asked for my driver’s license and told me follow him, to which I obliged. He then went to the corner of the street where three highway patrol officers were standing beside their motorcycles. They were wearing white long sleeves, black pants tucked in knee high black boots and white helmets. The man in blue uniform handed my driver’s license to one of the three officers.

When I approached the highway patrol officer, who was scrutinizing my driver’s license, he asked me if I can attend the seminar. Being my first time to be apprehended for traffic violation, I did not know what to say or what to do. And so the officer asked me again when is my available time to attend the seminar. Not having an idea what seminar he was talking about, I asked him when and where the seminar will be held? Upon my reply, he reacted like he was surprised to find out that I was actually willing to attend the seminar! He told me that if I attend the seminar, it will cost me much amount of money, aside from the hassle that I will have to undergo to attend the seminar. And so he asked me again if I am still willing to attend the seminar. To which I replied, yes, and then I asked him when and where the seminar will be held. After a long discussion about the seminar that he was talking about, the officer asked me to choose between attending the seminar and asking him if we can just settle the matter in private. At that point, I realized that it was just an imaginary seminar, and that the reality was he would like me to settle the matter with him in private. And so I told him that I am going for option number two.

The next thing he asked me was where I was working. I was suddenly relieved and thanked the Lord that the officer asked me about my work! And so I gave him my I.D. and told him that I am a priest and a school administrator of Letran in Manila. Upon realizing that I was indeed a priest when he saw my I.D., he told his companions with surprise, “He is a priest!” Then he told me that he did not realize that I was a priest because I was not wearing a clerical shirt and that I look very young for a priest. The next thing he asked me was if I saw the Pope during his visit for the World Youth Day in Manila. I suddenly thought to myself how fast our topic has changed from the seminar to the Pope! When I told my father this story, he asked me, “Son, do you have an extra I.D.?”