JANUARY 9, 2026 — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has just announced a suspension of the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) policy of confiscating driver’s licenses for traffic violations. 

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the LTO to “immediately suspend the confiscation of driver’s license in apprehension cases involving traffic violations,” aligning with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to streamline and clarify procedures. 

On paper, this sounds like a win for motorists. But how many of us actually believe this will fix the deeper problems at the LTO?

The new memorandum, effective January 9, also changes the settlement period from 15 calendar days to 15 working days. 

Lopez explained, “Ibig sabihin po nito, hindi kasama ‘yung mga holiday at long weekend sa bilang ng araw kapag magse-settle ng violation ‘yung driver.” 

(This means holidays and long weekends are not counted in the days when a driver settles a violation.) 

Sounds fair, right? But the real question is, will this prevent the endless delays, inefficiencies, and red tape that Filipinos have come to expect from practically every government agency?

What forced the LTO to listen

Of course, this move didn’t come out of nowhere. It was triggered by the controversy involving road safety advocate James Deakin and his 19-year-old son. 

Deakin revealed that his son committed what he described as a “simple” traffic violation on Skyway Stage 3 last December 18. The LTO, however, classified it as “reckless driving.” What followed was a bureaucratic nightmare: offices closed during holidays, conflicting deadlines, and eventually, a one-month suspension of his son’s license — even after paying the P2,000 fine. 

Deakin shared that Lopez personally called him “not to deflect. Not to defend. But to apologize.” 

He later posted: “This, my friends, is what good public service looks like. Not press conferences shaming citizens. Not impossible deadlines or arbitrary enforcement. But truly listening to your constituents and maintaining accountability, while using power to fix broken systems instead of protecting them.”

Caught in the LTO maze

Now, here’s the bigger picture. If someone like James Deakin — an influential voice in road safety — can be caught in the LTO’s web of inefficiency, what more the ordinary Filipino driver? 

How many of us have wasted entire days lining up at government offices, only to be told to come back another time? How many have felt powerless against arbitrary rules that seem designed to confuse rather than clarify? 

The suspension of license confiscation may be a step forward, but is it enough to restore public trust?

Filipinos dread dealing with the LTO because we already expect the worst. This latest move by the DOTr is welcome, but it also raises a challenge — Will this be the start of genuine reform, or just another band-aid solution to silence public outrage? Will the LTO finally learn to serve the people efficiently, or will we continue to suffer under a system that seems allergic to accountability?

The suspension is a reminder that government agencies must listen to the public, not just enforce rules blindly. But listening is only the first step. Real reform means cutting through the culture of inefficiency that has plagued the LTO for decades. And until that happens, motorists will continue to ask: Are we really being served, or simply being managed?

Filipinos deserve a government that fixes broken systems, not one that forces us to live with them.

(Image: Philippine News Agency)