Lady Driver Faces Cybercrime Raps Over Iloilo Traffic Row

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A woman who berated a traffic enforcer during a four-hour standoff in Iloilo City is now facing charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Transportation and Traffic Management Office (TTMO) head Uldarico Garbanzos confirmed that the case was officially filed on Tuesday, May 20, before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

The filing followed the go-ahead from the Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Unit of Police Regional Office 6.

The case stemmed from an April 22 traffic incident in Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao, where the woman was flagged for making an illegal right turn from the left lane at an intersection.

Instead of complying, she allegedly refused to hand over her driver’s license and began live-streaming the encounter on Facebook.

During the livestream, she allegedly hurled insults and made defamatory remarks against the TTMO personnel, accusing one of corruption and personally attacking his character.

The confrontation reportedly lasted about four hours.

“It was found out that the comments and the words of the woman were very personal and do not reflect the kind of apprehension,” Garbanzos said.

“Very unethical. There were families involved—children who watched it.”

Garbanzos added that the woman later went to the TTMO office to inquire about her violation but made no effort to settle the issue with the enforcer involved.

“In an attempt to settle, there was none,” he said.

“We heard in her pronouncements in interviews that she will answer to the case.”

He clarified that while motorists have the right to document or record their apprehensions, the material should be used only for filing complaints—not for online shaming or character attacks.

“If the video is posted on social media with the intent of character assassination and mocking our enforcers, well, if she has her rights, our enforcers also have theirs,” he added.