THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) has served a Show Cause Order (SCO) against the driver as well as the owner of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) that was involved in a viral road rage incident with a bicycle rider in Marikina City.
At the same time, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II said the rider of a bicycle was also invited at the LTO-National Capital Region and was requested to submit a notarized written complaint as well as other supporting documents as part of the investigation into the incident.
Signed by LTO-NCR director Roque Verzosa III, the two separate SCOs issued on the registered owner and the driver of the white Nissan Patrol with license plate NFY 4437 directed them to submit notarized affidavits stating why they should not be held liable for violations of the provisions of the Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Both the registered owner and the driver of the SUV are facing cases of violations of reckless driving, obstruction of traffic as well as improper person to operate a motor vehicle under the RA 4136; and, disregarding traffic signs under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01.
The SCO was served to the registered owner of the SUV in Novaliches, Quezon City while the SCO for the driver was served at his house in Antipolo City.
“Agad na pag-aksyon ang ginawa ng LTO dahil gusto nating maresolba kaagad ang kaso lalo na ang mga insidenteng may kinalaman sa road safety. Under my leadership, the LTO will not tolerate any forms of altercation and road rage incidents,” Mendoza said.
Copies SCOs and the invitation to the bicycle rider were forwarded to the office of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
In the viral video, it can be seen that the SUV had hit the rider of the bicycle. The driver of the SUV then alighted his vehicle at the pedestrian lane and he engaged the bike rider to a fistfight, which obstructed the traffic flow in the area.
In the separate invitation to the bike rider, it stated that his attendance to the meeting set by the LTO-NCR would be of big help in the ongoing conduct of investigation.
Mendoza, on the other hand, said that the registration of the said vehicle would be preventively suspended for 90 days, unless the case has been resolved earlier. He also warned Ramos that failure to appear and submit an affidavit would force the LTO – NCR to resolve the case based on available records.
Mendoza has earlier vowed to push for interventions to stop incidents of road rage, saying that a special law is needed to define it and impose stricter penalties against it.
