The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has served a Show Cause Order (SCO) on the registered owner and the driver of a vehicle in the viral road rage incident in Marikina City.
LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II said both the registered owner and the driver were asked to explain why they should not be held liable for at least four violations of traffic laws— violations of reckless driving, obstruction of traffic as well as improper person to operate a motor vehicle under the Republic Act 4136; and, disregarding traffic signs under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01.
The SCO was served to the registered owner of the SUV in Novaliches, Quezon City while the SCO for the driver was served at his house in Antipolo City.
It was recalled that Wilfredo Gonzales, a former policeman who figured in a gun-toting incident on a bicycle rider, was penalized with the suspension of driver’s license after he was found guilty on the case of violation of improper person to operate a motor vehicle.
At the same time, Mendoza said the LTO-National Capital Region headed by Roque Verzosa III also sent an invitation to the bicycle rider in the Marikina road rage incident as part of the investigation of the case.
The identities of all the three were established at the course of the investigation of the LTO.
In the viral video, it can be seen that the Sports Utiluty Vehiclehit the rider of the bicycle. The driver of the SUV then alighted his vehicle at the pedestrian lane and he engaged the bike rider to a fistfight, which obstructed the traffic flow in the area.
Mendoza said that while investigation is ongoing, the registration of the said vehicle would be preventively suspended for 90 days, unless the case has been resolved earlier.
Mendoza has earlier vowed to push for interventions to stop incidents of road rage, saying that a special law is needed to define it and impose stricter penalties against it.