The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Wednesday stood by the traffic violation issued to the son of social media transport vlogger James Deakin, saying the offense was correctly classified as reckless driving.

In a press conference, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said the 19-year-old driver was cited after allegedly crossing a double solid lane, a “clear, universal, and strict traffic rule” that prohibits lane crossing at any time along Skyway Stage 3. The apprehension took place on 18 December.

“This kind of sign on the road prohibits the crossing of the double solid lane. Even if he crossed the exit, the right thing to do is to continue and pass the next exit. The mistake of forgetting where the exit is, is not an excuse to violate clear traffic control markings,” Lacanilao said in Filipino.

The LTO also said the vehicle driven by Deakin’s son did not have documents authorizing it to be on public roads, such as a sales invoice from the dealer or an Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (OR/CR).

“The paper that he was carrying was not a sales invoice, not an ORCR. In total, the car had no paper. The paper that they were carrying was paper from the importer to the dealer,” he said.

“What does that mean? That was not yet sold to the public, and it should not be driven on the road because there is no relevant paper,” he added.

Deakin had earlier posted on social media questioning the penalty, arguing that citing his son for reckless driving over a lane violation could unfairly affect his driving record.

Lacanilao, however, clarified the difference between reckless driving and reckless imprudence, stressing that the case is purely administrative and carries no criminal liability.

“Reckless driving and reckless imprudence are different. Reckless imprudence is a criminal offense under the Revised Penal Code. Reckless driving is in the JAO 24-01. It will only be reckless imprudence if a person hurt an individual or damaged a property,” he explained.

“Maybe they were confused. Reckless driving is not reckless imprudence with a criminal case. According to our rules, driving a vehicle, and our fellow countrymen should understand this, driving a vehicle that is not registered is considered reckless driving,” he added.

Lacanilao also addressed Deakin’s claim that his camp encountered difficulties retrieving the driver’s license. He said the apprehension occurred on 18 December and the driver was given until 23 December to contest the violation. However, the LTO said it found no record of any contest filed.

Under traffic adjudication rules, violations must be settled within 15 calendar days, including weekends and holidays, not 15 working days. Missing the deadline resulted in a one-month suspension of the driver’s license, despite payment of the P2,000 fine.

“Because the apprehension happened around Christmas time it was expected that there would be closed days in government offices. Because of this, it should be the driver's responsibility to consider the schedule of the holidays and schedules of the office in accordance with his obligation, within the given time,” Lacanilao said.

He also clarified that most LTO offices are closed on weekends, except for select driver’s license services, often located in mall branches.

The LTO said it has issued subpoenas to Deakin’s camp and the vehicle dealership to explain their side, while the traffic enforcer involved was also directed to submit a formal statement to ensure a fair investigation.

“I do not tolerate my employees who do bad things. But, I stand by my employees when they do the right thing. So, we should help each other. We also need the people’s help so that the LTO can be reformed,” Lacanilao said.