Escudero: Revoke licenses of ‘kamote’ drivers, riders

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Wednesday called for the revocation of driver's licenses of irresponsible motorists involved in road rage incidents and vehicular crashes.

In a statement, Escudero emphasized the need to instill discipline on the roads, noting that the issuance of a driver's license is a "privilege not a right."

"Naging uso na content sa social media ang video ng mga 'kamote' drivers pero sa totoo lang ay hindi nakakatawa o nakakaaliw ang kilos ng mga ito. Ang daming napeperwisyo at kadalasan nauuwi sa karahasan ang mga insidenteng ito," the Senate President said.

(Videos of 'kamote' drivers have become trending content on social media, but actually their actions are not funny or amusing. These drivers cause so much inconvenience as incidents involving them often lead to harm.)

"To ensure that our roads are safe from these motorists, their licenses should be revoked, not suspended," he added.

For Escudero, 90-day suspension orders imposed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is inadequate as a deterrent for such behavior among motorists.

"It cannot be over-emphasized that having a driver's license is a privilege and not a right. You have certain responsibilities while operating a vehicle. Kapag walang disiplina ang motorista, dapat lang na tanggalan sila ng lisensya (If the motorist does not have discipline, their licenses should be revoked," he said.

Escudero did not mention the motorist vlogger that he was referring to but it can be recalled the Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has announced the suspension of social media influencer Yanna's driver’s license.

Meanwhile, the LTO preventively suspended for 90 days the driver’s license of the motorist behind the fatal crash of a sport utility vehicle into the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Sunday. 

The agency has likewise revoked the driver's license of the bus driver involved in the fatal multiple-vehicle collision at Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) last week that left 10 people dead and others injured. — VDV, GMA Integrated News