LTO vows lawful license revocation for drunk drivers

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday vowed proper implementation of license revocation for drivers caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Gusto nating matiyak na walang driver na makapagmaneho nang lasing o nasa impluwensiya ng droga nang hindi napapanagot sa batas. Pero mahalaga ring tama ang proseso ng panghuhuli dahil ang pagpapatupad ng batas ay dapat mahigpit, maayos, at walang pagkukulang,” said LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao.

(We want to guarantee that there will be no driver who will drive drunk or under the influence of drugs that will not be held accountable to the law. But it is important that we follow the proper processes of apprehension because the implementation of the law should be strict, orderly, and no lapses.)

The LTO previously said that it would start revoking the licenses of drunk drivers beginning November 15. With the issuance of Memorandum No. MVL-2026-242, law enforcement officers are told to strictly follow the guidelines.

“Inatasan ang mga law enforcement officers na sundin ang tamang pagkakasunod-sunod ng pagsusuri bago hulihin ang isang driver na pinaghihinalaang nagmamaneho sa ilalim ng impluwensiya ng alak,” the LTO said in a Facebook post.

(Law enforcement officers are told to follow the proper order of testing before a driver suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol is detained.)

Should the driver fail the Field Sobriety Test, then the officer will use a breath analyzer to measure the amount of alcohol in the driver’s system. The breathalyzer will not be the only test, the LTO clarified.

Other than the possible penalties of violating the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act, the LTO chief is given the power under the Land Transportation and Traffic Code to revoke the license of someone deemed by the LTO Law Enforcement Service (LES) as an “Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle.”

The LES will then submit to the Investigation Division (IID) the record of every apprehension, including cases where the driver would refuse to be tested for proper action. —VAL, GMA News