Dizon: Abusive vlogger’s driver’s license suspended 90 days

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon during the press briefing on December 2, 2019 at the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel in Quezon City. Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The driver’s license of a vlogger who showed abusive behavior has been suspended for 90 days, as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) looks to crack down on blatant disobedience of traffic rules that are even posted online.

In a press briefing on Monday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has already suspended the driver’s license of social media personality Yanna, while two other individuals have been given show cause orders.

“We have received many reports about abusive motorcycle drivers and drivers.  I want to tell you now, and we’ve already suspended [the license of] Yanna, and then we will also suspend the licenses of two others, a Mr. Uson, and there’s another one,” Dizon told reporters in Filipino at the DOTr office in San Juan City.

Moving forward, Dizon said, the DOTr would automatically suspend the driver’s licenses of people caught on social media disobeying and abusing traffic rules.

“I’ve given the instruction to the LTO, and I’m asking our citizens to help. If we see a social media post showing an abusive driver, his or her license would be automatically suspended for 90 days. No investigation, no hearing, if we see a video with enough proof that you abused traffic rules, your licenses are suspended automatically,” he added.

In a subsequent ambush interview, LTO chief and Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II confirmed that Dizon was referring to Robert Uson, who handles the Smoke Machine vlog on Facebook and YouTube.

Uson recently uploaded a video of himself inside a Toyota Innova, racing along the streets of Cauayan Isabela, challenging a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

“That’s correct, we have issued a show cause order for that incident. We just want to confirm if he was the driver, because he owns the vehicle, and now we’re now confirming if he was the driver.  Pero (But) if he was the driver, that’s automatically suspended,” Mendoza said.

“Yes, there were two vehicles involved, a Land Cruiser and an Innova (Uson’s vehicle),” he added.

Meanwhile, the LTO asked Yanna to explain why her driver’s license should not be suspended or revoked after she allegedly instigated a road rage incident in Zambales.

Yanna, who was riding a motorbike on her Zambales road trip, gave a pickup driver the middle finger after the latter swerved when she was about to overtake.

The pickup driver explained that he had to change lanes because the roads were bumpy.

Last May 2, Uson posted on Facebook a video of his Innova against the Land Cruiser. Several pages have called Uson out for seemingly bragging about the street race on social media.

Dizon appealed to the media and the public to upload and report incidents of drivers exhibiting abusive behavior.

“I am asking the media, the public, to take videos of these incidents … post it, and we will see that, and their licenses would be suspended. You drive as if you do not fear the law,” he said.

“I don’t care if you are a famous vlogger, I don’t care. Your license will be suspended and may be revoked, you can no longer drive motorcycles…This warning is especially for those who drive motorcycles to earn. If you lose your licenses, you can no longer operate these vehicles,” he added.

The DOTr has also vowed to reform the regulations on public utility vehicle (PUV) operation and on getting driver’s licenses, after recent accidents claimed the lives of several individuals.

Last May 1, at least 10 died while over 30 were injured after the Solid North bus rammed into a van and a sports utility vehicle that were queuing at the northbound toll plaza of SCTEx’s Tarlac Exit.

READ: DOTr suspends bus firm’s operations after fatal SCTEX crash

Then on Sunday, May 4, a Ford Everest rammed into passengers queuing outside of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1, leading to the death of a five-year-old girl and another individual died after the incident.

READ: Girl, 5, one of two killed in Naia car accident

Before these, three individuals were killed while 10 others were hurt after a crash involving six vehicles happened along Fortune Avenue in Marikina City due to a trailer truck losing control while traversing Fortune Avenue’s inclined slope.

Two individuals, meanwhile, died after a jeepney went wayward along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City last April 13.  At least 16 others were injured.