Ched Rick Gatchalian

The Land Transportation Office headquarters. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

 

Article (news)

Transport vlogger James Deakin complains about LTO’s ‘inflated traffic charges’ vs son

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767696846032176114668326920250206-land-transportation-office-JC-12 (1).webp" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Land Transportation Office headquarters. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/>The Land Transportation Office headquarters. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — Road safety advocate and vlogger James Deakin on Tuesday took to social media to complain about the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) supposedly inflated charges against his son, who committed what he described as a simple traffic violation on the Skyway Stage 3 last December 18, 2025. Deakin admitted that his 19-year-old son is a newbie driver, having only gotten his license several months ago, and is still not quite familiar with Skyway exits.So when his son called him to say he got pulled over by the traffic enforcer, Deakin said he urged his son to own up to his mistake and follow the process.“He said, Dad, I already missed the first exit and I’m new here… When I saw the Quezon Avenue exit it was late na so I turned but I crossed the double yellow line and the officer stopped me… I didn’t want to give him a way out na signs are confusing. At the end of the day, that’s a double yellow line,” he recounted.But Deakin insisted that penalizing his son with ‘reckless driving’ for a lane violation, which potentially criminalizes a teenage driver’s record, seems a step too far.“That’s what hurt the most. I was trying to teach him the right thing to do and then you see this very arbitrary decision that was made that could affect his future…  That’s why I wanted clarification from the LTO. Will my son have a criminal record for changing lanes?” he said in a separate interview with ABS-CBN News.“I’m not asking for a padrino, I’m just asking for clarification because this is serious. A little box like that could make the difference between traveling outside the country or not,” added Deakin.He again faced another hurdle when trying to retrieve his son’s driver’s license. The first time they went to the LTO was the Saturday after Christmas, when the LTO was supposedly open.But the office specifically in charge of license retrieval was closed, so they were asked to just return on January 5, 2026—or after the holidays.Come January 5, Deakin’s son was able to pay the P2,000 fine, but they were told that they missed the 15-day deadline to process the violation since even holidays and weekends are included in the count.As a result, his son’s driver’s license was suspended for a month.“I was still calm because I thought it’s a mistake. But the lawyer said it’s 15 days. I said yes, but 15 working days no? Cause you were closed, I think 7 or 8 out of those 15 (days). He said, no, that’s included. I said, Christmas is included? Sunday, new year’s day, Rizal day? All of it, yes. I said that’s absurd! Am I being Punk’d? Is there a Wow Mali that’s going to come out and say, Aha!?” said Deakin.He also questioned why the LTO asked for a printed OR/CR before they could release the license when all the vehicle information is already written on the ticket.“I even asked the officer, what’s the legal basis for this because it’s not the car that committed any violation. It’s the driver. You have all the information written out by a deputized LTO officer but you still need an OR/CR from me? It seems like an extra hoop to jump through,” he said.According to Deakin, he left the LTO that day sorely disappointed, especially since he has been teaching his children that the right thing to do is to always follow the process and not resort to fixers.“I tried to show my kid that there is hope and yet this was his first experience… So it’s embedded in your brain as a driver that the path of least resistance is what we’re not supposed to do… Maybe the fixers were the “right way to go&quot;, or at least that’s what the system pushes you to,” he said. <div>LTO PROBES INCIDENT</div>The LTO said it has launched an investigation into the incident. The traffic enforcer involved has also been temporarily suspended while the probe is underway.“Nag-request din kami sa enforcer ng Skyway para makuha yung detailed report and CCTV and photos and affidavit nung mismong enforcer kasi kung merong pag mamalabis din on their part… Pwede rin kami magtanggal (ng deputization),” said LTO Chief Markus Lacanilao.But Lacanilao noted that sudden changing of lanes is indeed considered reckless driving.“Yung sa reckless driving, yung biglang change of lanes, yung pagpasok, lalo na pag tumawid ka (sa double yellow line), nasa ticket natin yan na mag-aano yan ng reckless,” he said.He also added that the counting of the 15-day window really includes holidays and weekends.“Legally ganun po talaga e. May mga araw naman na open pa (yung office) at that time, kasi (December) 18 palang nun e. Tapos kung nagkaipitan nun, may pasok pa po ng 26,” he said.Meanwhile, Deakin said the Anti-Red Tape Authority has already reached out to him and vowed to look into the issue.“They want to get to the bottom of this,” he said.

Vlogger James Deakin took to social media to complain about the LTO's supposedly inflated charges against his son, who committed what he described as a simple traffic violation.

Vlogger James Deakin took to social media to complain about the LTO's supposedly inflated charges against his son, who committed what he described as a simple traffic violation.

Vlogger James Deakin complains about LTO’s ‘inflated traffic charges’ vs son

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Vlogger James Deakin complains about LTO’s ‘inflated traffic charges’ vs son

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 06, 2026 07:22 PM PHT

Read More:

Land Transportation Office

LTO

James Deakin

Traffic violation

Reckless driving

Double yellow line

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