Vlogger who filmed self while driving now in hot water with LTO

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued a show cause order (SCO) against a vlogger who allegedly took a video of herself holding a recording device while driving a vehicle.

In a statement on Monday, the LTO cited a video anonymously shared to a Facebook group which showed the female vlogger holding a gadget to film herself while driving a white convertible.

“Pagtitibayin ng LTO ang pagtiyak ng kaligtasan sa kalsada at pagpapatupad ng mga batas trapiko upang protektahan ang lahat ng motorista at pedestrian,” LTO chief and Transportation Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said.

(The LTO will uphold the safety of our roads and the implementation of traffic laws to protect all motorists and pedestrians.)

The SCO compelled the vlogger and the registered owner of the vehicle to appear before the LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) on February 20 at 11 a.m. and submit a verified explanation of the incident.

She should explain why she should not be held liable for distracted driving and reckless driving.

The vlogger should also justify why her driver’s license should not be revoked on grounds that she is an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.

The LTO said the driver’s license of the motorist will be preventively suspended for 90 days once the agency has verified the motorist’s identity at the hearing on Friday.

The motorist should surrender her driver’s license on the day of the hearing while the vehicle will be also placed under an LTO alarm.

The LTO said the respondents’ failure to appear and submit their verified explanation will be considered a waiver of their right to be heard.

The complaint will be then resolved based on the agency’s evidence at hand. — JMA, GMA Integrated News