LTO-6 bars rider from ever getting a driver's license
In today’s digital age, social media (socmed) often serves as a public diary where individuals freely express both joy and frustration. While often harmless, these online outpourings can sometimes backfire, as demonstrated by a recent case in Bacolod where a rider’s social media rant led to his disqualification from ever obtaining a driver’s license, effectively barring him from operating any vehicle or motorcycle.
Just recently, Land Transportation Office Region VI (LTO-6) has taken a decisive action to disqualify a Negros Occidental motorist from obtaining a driver’s license. This move comes after the individual, Christian Dave Lazanas Alit, posted a Facebook livestream filled with profanities and veiled threats directed at an LTO enforcer who had lawfully cited him for multiple traffic violations.
Regional Director, Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II, approved the recommendation from the Intelligence and Investigation Unit Head, Shiela Mae Alulod, to immediately bar Alit from acquiring a driver’s license. The LTO adds that this move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to hold motorists accountable for harassing or threatening law enforcers.
“It is hereby resolved and recommended that Mr. Christian Dave Lazanas Alit be disqualified from obtaining a driver’s license for exhibiting conduct unbecoming of a responsible motorist and for undermining the authority, morale, and public standing of duly deputized traffic enforcement personnel,” the LTO-6 resolution stated.
Alit was initially apprehended on April 4, 2025, in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, for driving without a valid license, operating an unregistered vehicle, and reckless driving. On June 10, he paid a total of PHP 15,010 in penalties and retrieved his impounded motorcycle from the LTO Bacolod City District Office. However, minutes after this transaction, he initiated a Facebook livestream, in which he used profanity and issued hostile remarks, explicitly naming the apprehending officer. The video also included references to himself as the “Black Barbie,” an alias he claimed LTO staff had jokingly used.
The livestream quickly raised concerns within the agency regarding its potential to damage the reputation and safety of LTO personnel. A Show Cause Order was promptly issued the next day, June 11, giving Alit five days to explain his conduct.
In his written response, Alit asserted that the video was intended to be humorous and that LTO staff had reacted favorably to it, suggesting the light atmosphere during his visit influenced his post’s tone. But, despite his explanation, LTO-6 didn’t find any humor in his video and took matters seriously, saying that public threats and offensive remarks targeting law enforcers are unacceptable, regardless of intent. The agency concluded that the video conveyed hostility and undermined public respect for law enforcement.
“This constitutes harassment of an officer performing official duties. We will not tolerate intimidation of our enforcers,” said Geduspan.
Under Chapter III, Article I, Section 27 of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the LTO Director possesses the authority to suspend or revoke a driver’s license, or disqualify an applicant, if the individual is deemed an improper person to operate a motor vehicle or has committed acts endangering the public. The resolution concluded that Alit’s behavior “does not reflect the conduct expected of responsible drivers.”
By recommending this disqualification, LTO-6 aims to reinforce standards of respect and professionalism in interactions between motorists and law enforcement. The resolution explicitly stated, “In view of the foregoing, it is hereby resolved and recommended that Mr. Christian Dave Lazanas Alit be disqualified from obtaining a driver’s license, effective immediately.”
