The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday started the process of stripping the driver of the black Mercedes Benz tagged in a fatal shooting in Makati City of driving privilege, starting with the issuance of a 90-day preventive suspension of his driver’s license as the investigation on the administrative charges against him is ongoing.
LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary, Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, said the administrative cases against Gerrard Raymund Yu are Reckless Driving under Section 48 of Republic Act 4136 in connection to I-E of Joint Administrative Order 2014-01; and Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle under Section 27(a) of RA 4136 which has a maximum penalty of cancellation of driver’s license.
“We already issued a Show Cause Order against him and since he is already under police custody for a case that is non-bailable, he was directed to submit a notarized affidavit on why he should not be penalized,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza earlier ordered an investigation into the incident after the Philippine National Police (PNP) sought LTO assistance to identify the registered owner of a black Mercedes Benz whose driver was tagged as the one who shot 65-year old Aniceto Mateo over a road rage in Makati City on Tuesday afternoon.
In response, LTO-National Capital Region Police Regional Director Roque Verzosa III issued an SCO against the registered owner of the car in Las Piñas City. This led to the police operation in Las Piñas City and it was later found out that the registered owner was not the driver as he already sold the car to Yu.
Police investigators later tracked down Yu in his house in Pasig City where he was arrested and where the Mercedes Benz was found along with two handguns, one of them matched with the bullet that killed Mateo.
Mendoza said the registered owner will be asked to explain why Yu was driving the black Mercedes Benz. He added that both the registered owner and Yu will be also asked to explain why there were two license plates seized during the operation -- one is a green plate BCS77 and the other is a white plate DAB 9670 which was the one installed in the car when the police arrested Yu.
“These are all part of the due process. What is important here is that it sent a strong message that the PNP and the LTO are working together to address this kind of crime,” Mendoza said.
“Kaya muli nating pinapa-alalahanan ang ating mga kababayan na magbaon ng napakraming paasensya sa kalsada dahil walang naidudulot na mabuti ang init ng ulo,” he added.
Mendoza said the Office of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista was already informed of the LTO actions on this case.