LTO summons Taytay councilor over cellphone use while driving

A female councilor in Taytay, Rizal, was summoned by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Saturday over using cellphone while driving.

“Based on the video received by the agency, which was uploaded by the councilor herself on her Facebook page, she can be seen taking a video of herself while driving,” the LTO said.

“In the said video, the councilor can be seen taking one hand off the steering wheel to dance while the vehicle is in motion, causing her attention to shift away from the road and toward the camera. Furthermore, she was also not wearing a seatbelt while driving,” it added.

Following the incident, the LTO issued a show-cause order (SCO) dated 14 November to initiate an investigation.

The SCO stated that the councilor is required to appear before the LTO Central Office's Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) on 23 November to submit her sworn statement and explanation, along with supporting documents, regarding the alleged violations of reckless driving, distracted driving, and the mandatory use of seatbelts.

The LTO said it may suspend or revoke the councilor's driver's license if the investigation establishes that she is an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.

As part of its immediate action, the LTO ordered the councilor to surrender her driver's license to the IID for a 90-day suspension. Meanwhile, an alarm has also been placed on the vehicle used in the incident.