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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Kawawang aso! LTO summons owner, driver of private car carrying dog in its trunk

Kawawang aso! LTO summons owner, driver of private car carrying dog in its trunk

Published May 9, 2025 04:38 pm

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Friday, May 9, that it has issued a show-cause order (SCO) to the registered owner and driver of a private vehicle seen in a viral video illegally transporting a dog in its open trunk.

LTO Chief Asst. Sec. Vigor D. Mendoza II said the SCO was issued to the registered owner of the Mitsubishi Mirage, who is a resident of Cavite. His full identity was withheld pending the results of LTO’s probe.

Mendoza said the issuance of the SCO was aimed at getting the owner’s side over a viral video featuring the inhumane transportation of a dog, which was widely condemned by netizens and animal rights groups.

In a video uploaded on the Facebook page of Animal Kingdom Foundation, it showed a dog placed in an open trunk of the sedan while the motor vehicle was moving on a public road.

“This investigation will also find out if the vehicle was being driven by the registered owner or it was being driven by another person at the time of the incident,” Mendoza said.

In the SCO signed by LTO-Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Renante Melitante, the registered owner was asked to explain why they should not be held liable for road safety-related regulations over the incident.

The LTO said the owner or driver of the car may face a string of administrative cases including reckless driving and improper person to operate a motor vehicle under sections 48 and 27 of Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.

The penalty for such violations is revocation of the driver’s license.

The LTO will invite representatives from the Animal Kingdom Foundation and the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to get their stand on the issue as part of the due process during the first hearing scheduled on May 13 at the LTO Central Office in Quezon City.

Mendoza said the LTO also hopes that the hearing will provide tips and information on how to properly transport pets.

“We understand the concerns of the netizens and the Animal Kingdom Foundation over this incident. This is not only about animal rights but also involves road safety,” he said.

EDSA Busway violator

In a different case, the LTO issued a separate SCO against the registered owner of a Toyota Hi-Ace van after its license plate was found to be attached to a white sports utility vehicle (SUV) that illegally entered the EDSA Bus Carousel.

Mendoza said it was found out that the van was registered to the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), a government financial institution. He said what they wanted to know was how its red license plate number “SAA 1023” ended up being used by a Toyota Fortuner.

“Hindi tama ito at maliwanag na pambabastos ito sa ating mga batas (This is not right and this is a clear violation of our law). In issuing the SCO to this government financial institution, they will be notified of the wrongdoings of some of its personnel and we want to exactly pinpoint who these people are,” the LTO chief stressed.

The SCO issuance stemmed from the complaint lodged by the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT) about a white SUV that illegally entered the Ortigas portion of the EDSA Bus Carousel on Thursday.

The driver, claiming to be headed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters (GHQ) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, refused to present a valid driver’s license, sparking tension. When ordered to pull over, the driver brazenly sped off, evading apprehension and leaving authorities in pursuit.

The same white SUV was also flagged by the SAICT on Jan. 13 as it also illegally entered the EDSA Busway, a critical lane which is supposed to be reserved for public transportation.

At the time, the white SUV fled at high speed, striking and injuring the hand of a DOTr-SAICT enforcer attempting to stop the vehicle. 

The SAICT said that the "repeated defiance and dangerous behavior" of the driver of the SUV "[poses] a serious threat to public safety and the rule of law."

“Our strict implementation of the laws and road safety rules and regulations covers not only private motorists but also those in the government because as our DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said, we in the government should be the one to lead by example,” Mendoza said.

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