LTO: Yanna's license suspension stays until she surrenders motorcycle

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Saturday said it will not lift the suspension of the driver’s license of a motorcycle vlogger until she surrenders the vehicle she used in the "road rage" video that has gone viral.

In a statement, LTO said that the condition was set clear in the resolution, signed by LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, when Yanna Aguinaldo, also known as “Yanna Motovlog,” went to the LTO Central Office on Friday, May 23, to get a copy of the decision.

In a 7-page decision, the LTO fined Aguinaldo P5,000 for using a motorcycle without side mirrors and another P2,000 for reckless driving.

Her driver’s license was also preventively suspended for a period of 90 days and was placed under alarm.

Aguinaldo, in a statement sent to GMA News Online, said that, “I accept the sanction imposed—even in the absence of substantial evidence directly proving fault on my end.”

“It’s worth noting, too, that this involved a trail bike. I hope this opens up further clarification on where law enforcement begins and where it ends,” she said.

The LTO also said the offenses committed by Aguinaldo were caught in the viral video she herself uploaded to her social media account, particularly the dangerous maneuvers she did while overtaking a pickup as well as the absence of side mirrors on the motorcycle she was using.

The vlogger was absolved in the third case since she is not the registered owner of the motorcycle.

The decision stemmed from a video the motovlogger shared during a trip to Zambales where she had a confrontation with a driver of a pickup truck.

The motovlogger later apologized to the pickup driver as well as to the riding community over the incident.

The LTO also summoned her to justify the suspension or revocation of her driver's license. She was also ordered to submit an explanation on why she should not be administratively charged.

But Aguinaldo did not show up to the hearing.

“LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Renante Melitante said [he] met with Yanna Motovlog and the latter explained the reasons why she did not appear in the two hearings,” the agency said.

“She earlier cited security reasons as the reason why she chose to send her legal counsel instead,” it said.

License plate

The LTO said, during the meeting, Melitante explained to Aguinaldo that “there is a need to surrender the motorcycle over suspicion that it is not registered since it has no license plate.”

The motovlogger was provided with the copy of the resolution in relation to her cases “but did not pay the fines.”

However, she said that “I’ve chosen not to contest the decision—not because I agree with the process, but because I value moving forward with integrity over prolonging noise.”

“If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: the LTO has shown it can pay attention,” she added.

The motovlogger also said that the LTO should also look into “more pressing, long standing issues that truly compromise public safety on a daily basis.” Among the issues she cited include unregulated, overloaded trucks on provincial highways; illegally parked vehicles blocking emergency lanes; lack of pedestrian infrastructure in high-risk zones; unmarked road hazards like open manholes and broken barriers; and motorists without licenses who continue to operate.

Mendoza, for his part, emphasized the need to follow traffic rules and regulations, especially the part that requires drivers to be courteous and disciplined at all times to avoid trouble. —VAL, GMA Integrated News