Motorists, don’t even think of trying this.
The guy who was seen in a video driving a car from the passenger seat will now face charges and will get his driver’s license revoked, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said today.
The DOTr said in a statement that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) today summoned the driver identified as Miko Lopez.
In the video, Lopez can be seen driving an automatic transmission vehicle from the passenger seat while a passenger at the back seat took a video of his antics.
It shows him using his left arm to move the steering wheel and his left foot to switch from the gas and brake pedals. He also lit a cigarette in the video and took his hand off the steering wheel while the vehicle was moving.
The man taking the video egged Lopez on and said in Filipino: “Wow that’s good, you’re even smoking at the passenger [side].”
Lopez quiped, “I do everything illegal.”
Lopez posted the video on Facebook on May 23 but has since deleted it. It was reposted by the DOTr’s Facebook page today. Lopez also posted a now-deleted Facebook photo of his car without a steering wheel, CNN Philippines reported.
The LTO will charge Lopez for “reckless driving, illegal modification (removing the steering wheel), not wearing seatbelt, and improper person to operate a motor vehicle,” the DOTr’s statement reads.
“His license will be revoked, and he will also be disqualified from applying for a driver’s license again in the future. If he does not appear [today], LTO will resolve this issue on the basis of evidence presented.”
LTO Executive Director Romeo Vera Cruz also said: “This video is clear proof that he is an improper person to operate a vehicle, aside from committing traffic violations.”
DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark de Leon also warned not to mock the government’s abilities by blatantly disobeying traffic rules.
“You might’ve gotten off [easy] when you did that video, [but] we will make sure you will get penalized. Let this be a stern warning to everyone else. We enjoin the citizenry to report this kind of violations, and we will act on it swiftly,” de Leon said.
