Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, urged motorists to remain calm on the road, warning that road rage leads only to trouble.
Asec Mendoza issued the statement following a road rage incident in Antipolo City, where a driver of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) was caught on video firing a gun at motorcycle riders after an altercation.
“It’s disheartening to see such incidents where we lose our sense of dignity. We must not act like children who resort to fights over matters that can be resolved with patience,” said Asec Mendoza.
Reports indicate that the SUV driver, seen in the viral video, accidentally shot his companion during the altercation, leaving at least three others injured. A case of multiple frustrated homicides is being prepared against the 28-year-old suspect, a businessman from Quezon City.
Initial footage circulating online shows the SUV driver engaged in a fistfight with at least two motorcycle riders before the shooting. In response, Asec Mendoza has ordered the LTO-Intelligence and Investigation Division (LTO-IID) to conduct a thorough probe to determine the cause of the altercation and assess further legal action, including possible revocation of the suspect’s driver’s license.
LTO-IID head Renante Melitante has since issued a show cause order (SCO) against the SUV driver and three motorcycle riders involved. Pending the investigation, the driver’s licenses of the SUV driver and one motorcycle rider have been suspended for 90 days, and their vehicles have been placed under alarm.
“We remind all motorists to exercise caution, responsibility, and patience while on the road. Many have faced consequences due to road rage, and many lives have been ruined because of it,” Asec Mendoza stressed.
“Let’s always remember that we have families to support and loved ones waiting for us to return home safely,” he added.