LTO summons motorist who used blinker, siren in QC

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has summoned the owner and driver of a black Volkswagen Jetta who went viral on social media for his alleged unauthorized use of blinkers and sirens and for pretending to drive a diplomat’s car to get out of a traffic jam.

In a statement, the LTO cited a viral photo of the driver who used an unauthorized blinker and siren while driving along Quezon Avenue near Araneta Avenue on January 10.

It said the driver allegedly pretended to be using a diplomat’s car in a bid to get out of the traffic jam easily, but ended up causing an inconvenience to other motorists.

LTO chief and Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao stressed that they will not allow any individual or group to resort to such ways to get ahead of other motorists.

“Ang pagpapanggap bilang diplomatiko at maling paggamit ng mga signal device ay hindi lamang labag sa batas kundi nagbabanta rin sa kaligtasan at kaayusan ng lahat ng gumagamit ng kalsada. Patuloy tayong magpapatupad ng mga regulasyon nang walang kinikilingan para tiyakin na ligtas at maayos ang paglalakbay ng bawat Pilipino,” he said.

(Pretending to be a diplomat and the wrong use of signal devices is not just against the law, but is a threat to the safety of road users and order on the road. We will continue to implement regulations without bias to ensure that each Filipino has a safe and orderly journey.)

The driver and owner of the Volkswagen Jetta may face administrative charges for using an unauthorized blinker and siren, operating a motor vehicle with defects or unauthorized accessories, and being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.

The LTO ordered the respondents to appear before the LTO – Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) at its office on East Avenue, Quezon City on January 14, Wednesday at 11 a.m.

They should submit a verified explanation and the original documents of the vehicle.

In addition, the LTO also issued a 90-day preventive suspension on the driver’s license of the motorist behind the wheel of the Volkswagen Jetta. He should surrender his driver’s license to the LTO on the date of the hearing.

The vehicle in question was also placed under an LTO alarm to prevent any transactions involving the vehicle.

If the respondents fail to appear and submit an explanation, they will be deemed to have waived their right to be heard and the LTO will decide on the case based on the evidence at hand. — JMA, GMA Integrated News