San Juan City: Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced a new policy where individuals caught breaking traffic laws in online videos will face an automatic 90-day suspension of their driver's licenses. This measure is part of the government's efforts to address the issue of rogue drivers on the road.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a press conference at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City, Dizon directed the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to enforce this suspension and urged the public to report social media posts that depict violations of traffic laws. He stated that there will be no investigation or hearing; if a video provides sufficient evidence of traffic rule violations, licenses will be suspended automatically.
A vlogger known as "Yanna" has already had her license suspended after she was involved in a road rage incident in Zambales, where she made an offensive gesture at a pick-up driver during an overtake attempt. Dizon emphasized that fame will not protect violators and warned that licenses could also be revoked, particularly impacting those who drive motorcycles for a living.
LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, noted that a vlogger named Robert Uson, who operates the "Smoke Machine" page on Facebook and YouTube, has been issued a show cause order and will soon face a license suspension. Uson had previously posted a video of a race between his Innova and a Land Cruiser on a public road.
This crackdown is part of the government's response to a rise in road crashes and law-breaking incidents shared on social media. Dizon has also mandated regular drug tests for public utility vehicle drivers, reduced driving hours, strict road safety checks, implementation of the speed limiter law, and proposed the creation of the Public Transport Safety Board.