Mocking traffic fines costs driver license suspension

By Gerome Dalipe

A young motorist’s viral attempt to downplay traffic fines as mere “barya lang” has backfired, costing him his driver’s license for one year.

The Land Transportation Office Region 6 imposed the penalty after finding the 20-year-old college student liable for reckless driving, citing a pattern of dangerous behavior and blatant disregard for road safety laws.

The sanction follows a case that drew public attention after the driver mocked traffic fines online.

LTO-6 Regional Director Gaudioso P. Geduspan II issued a stern warning, stressing that traffic violations are no joke and can cost lives.

“Every single day, we are confronted with the grim reality of road accidents… there is absolutely no room for mockery or levity,” Geduspan said in the resolution.

The motorist was flagged after video footage showed him speeding, weaving through traffic, and overtaking vehicles without signaling along Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, placing both motorists and pedestrians in danger.

This triggered his second show cause order.

He was earlier fined PHP 10,000 for operating an unregistered vehicle and PHP 2,000 for reckless driving.

Instead of settling the penalties, he took to social media and dismissed them as “barya lang,” sparking public outrage and prompting tougher sanctions.

LTO-6 investigators said the reckless driving — combined with his public mockery of traffic laws — showed clear disrespect for regulations and undermined road safety enforcement.

Records also linked the driver to an earlier viral incident in January involving a speeding Chevrolet Trailblazer along Diversion Road, later confirmed to have an expired registration.

In its March 23 resolution, LTO-6 stressed that a driver’s license is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked when a motorist is deemed unfit.

The agency also took note of the driver’s admission that public backlash affected his mental state, raising concerns about his fitness behind the wheel.

“We impose penalties not as a formality, but as a necessary measure to maintain order and safety on our roads,” the resolution stated.

The driver’s license has been placed under alarm, with additional fines imposed.

He has also been ordered to explain within five working days why further administrative sanctions should not be enforced.

Geduspan also reiterated that similar actions, and even statements, that belittle traffic laws will be met with the full force of regulatory authority.

With mounting evidence, viral footage, and his own admissions, LTO-6 held that the motorist is, for now, an “improper person” to operate a motor vehicle.