COMPOSITE image of SUV owner Jose Antonio Sanvicente and video clip of his RAV 4 hitting security guard Christian Floralde on June 5. FROM FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Jose Antonio Sanvicente, the driver of a sports utility vehicle caught in a viral video running over a security guard in Mandaluyong City, may still register a new car but is barred from driving it.
Romeo Vera Cruz, the newly installed officer-in-charge of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), said on Thursday that the agency does not have the authority to prevent Sanvicente from registering another vehicle.
“Wala po tayong authority to do that kasi it is his right to buy a motor vehicle. Iba lang ang mag-drive, huwag lang siya kasi wala siyang license,” Vera Cruz said on TeleRadyo when asked if he should be prevented from registering a new vehicle.
(We don’t have the authority to do that because it is his right to buy a vehicle. Only that other people should drive it, not him because he does not have a license.)
If Sanvicente was caught driving even without a license, Vera Cruz said he could be apprehended.
The LTO earlier revoked Sanvicente’s license for failing to show up in hearings despite summons and after finding out that he has records of reckless driving in the past years.
He was also “perpetually disqualified” from getting a driver’s license and driving a vehicle in the future, LTO said.
Ease of identifying traffic violators
Vera Cruz added that video uploads of traffic violations on social media helped them identify violators, noting that it has fast-tracked the sending of show-cause orders.
“Very helpful talaga ‘yung mga video, ‘yung pinopost sa Facebook, ginagamit ‘yan, that is sufficient. Ganito kasi ‘yung proseso: ‘Pag meron kaming makitang video tapos na-identify namin, show cause order kami doon sa owner kasi hindi namin alam sinong nagda-drive eh,” he said.
(Videos are very helpful, those that are uploaded on Facebook. So we use that; those are sufficient. So this is the process: if we see a video, then we identify it, and that’s when we give out a show-cause order to the owner because we don’t know who was driving.)
Netizens can also upload videos of traffic violations in the CitiSend app, Vera Cruz said. — Xander Dave Ceballos, INQUIRER.net intern
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