PNP: SUV driver in Taguig road rage incident may face usurpation rap

MANILA, Philippines — A sports utility vehicle (SUV) driver involved in a road rage incident in Taguig City could be charged with usurpation of authority for claiming to be a policeman, the Philippine National Police said.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that the man, who attempted to confiscate the license of a truck driver, introduced himself as a police officer as he threatened the victim, according to a blotter report.

However, Fajardo said the registered owner of the vehicle was not found in the PNP database of police officers.

“So it appears that this man is not a police officer based on the database of the active PNP personnel,” Fajardo said, partly in Filipino, during an interview on Thursday.

Thus, he said the man has no authority to confiscate a license.

“On that basis alone, we could charge usurpation of authority,” Fajardo said.

“And as you can see with the viral (video), he was asking for the license, and the only ones authorized to confiscate those are the traffic enforcers, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the police who were deputized by the LTO,” Fajardo also explained.d.

The LTO said the incident happened on Nov. 24.

The driver, who had his driver’s license temporarily suspended, was also ordered to appear before the LTO’s office in Metro Manila on December 4.

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