NAIA car crash driver gets license 'revoked', guilty of Reckless Driving

Following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s directive to prioritize road safety, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) revoked the driver’s license of the driver responsible for the fatal May 4th crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) departure area.

In a five-page decision signed by LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, the driver, a resident of Batangas, was found guilty of reckless driving. In addition to the four-year license revocation, he was fined PHP 2,000. Mendoza clarified that these penalties—the maximum allowed by law—were imposed due to the driver’s unsuitability to operate a motor vehicle.

The LTO issued a show cause order to both the registered owner and the driver of the black Ford Everest following the incident, which resulted in the deaths of a four-year-old child of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and a 29-year-old man. The driver, however, did not submit any statement to contest the charges of reckless driving and being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle. 

The decision cited Rule I(e) of Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, which defines driving that endangers property, safety, or rights as reckless driving, punishable by a PHP 2,000 fine. “Applying the aforementioned provisions and jurisprudence to the facts of the case, the respondent-driver committed reckless driving that endangers the property or the safety or rights of the victim, given the gravity of his actions,” the decision stated.

Mendoza explained that the driver’s lack of due diligence, which caused the deaths of two individuals and injuries to others, along with property damage, constituted unacceptable driver behavior. This behavior is grounds for license revocation under Republic Act 4136, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.  

The LTO emphasized in the decision that driving is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked for violations of existing laws and road safety regulations. The agency urged motorists to exercise responsibility and discipline on the road to avoid legal consequences.