Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to immediately suspend the confiscation of driver’s licenses following public backlash over traffic apprehension procedures.
The directive came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to streamline and clarify rules affecting motorists whose licenses are taken during traffic violations.
In a memorandum issued on January 9, Lopez directed the LTO to halt the confiscation of driver’s licenses in apprehension cases and to review all related issuances to ensure consistency across existing policies.
The transport chief also amended the guidelines for settling traffic violations by changing the lead time from 15 calendar days to 15 working days to give both motorists and authorities sufficient time to resolve cases.
“Ibig sabihin po nito, hindi kasama ‘yung mga holiday at long weekend sa bilang ng araw kapag magse-settle ng violation ‘yung driver,” Lopez said.
While license confiscation is suspended, the LTO was instructed to immediately place the driver’s license of apprehended motorists under alert status upon the issuance of a violation.
The agency was further directed to strictly enforce the automatic suspension or revocation of licenses if drivers fail to settle their cases within the 15-working-day period.
