An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has been asked to explain the use of a vehicle with unauthorized blinkers and protocol plate ’10,’ the agency said on Sunday.
In a statement, the agency said acting Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered DOTr Undersecretary for Special Concerns Ricky Alfonso to explain the act.
The agency noted that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) found that the gray Lexus LX750 was not registered to use the plate number.
The Executive Order No. 56, issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last April, provides the designation of the plate number for the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Solicitors General.
Marcos’ Administrative Order No. 18 prohibits government officials and personnel from using sirens, blinkers, and other flashing devices. However, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, fire trucks, hospital ambulances, and other emergency vehicles are exempted from this order.
Meanwhile, the LTO also issued a show-cause order to the driver of the Lexus vehicle in line with a reported incident on October 8.
The order cited the police report stating that the vehicle was involved in an incident resulting in an injury.
In a separate statement, the LTO said that ‘the incident showed Alfonso’s driver and security aide confronting and allegedly slapping the driver of an Isuzu multicab after a traffic altercation.’
With this, the driver and owner of the vehicle is tasked to submit an explanation on ‘why the driver should not be administratively charged for Reckless Driving, Motor vehicle operating without or with defective/improper/unauthorized accessories, devices, equipment, and parts’ and why the driver’s license should not be suspended for being an Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle.
The LTO also said that the license of the driver has been preventively suspended for 90 days and is directed to surrender the said license. Aside from this, the vehicle will be placed under alarm to prevent any transactions amid pending investigations. ‘The use of blinkers, sirens, and protocol plates is strictly regulated under existing laws and administrative orders. We will not tolerate any misuse of these privileges, especially by individuals who should serve as examples to the public,’ LTO Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said in a statement.