PHOTO GRAB of the video of the road rage incident showing a man repeatedly shooting another man that he had a traffic altercation with in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City at 3 a.m. on Sunday, as the female companion of the shooter watched in horror. The video went viral after it was posted on Facebook.
THE Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection (LCSP) group based in Manila urged the the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) to suspend the driver’s license of road rage suspect David Lim Jr.
Lawyer Ariel Inton Jr., LCSP founder and a former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) member, said LTO should immediately suspend Lim’s driver’s license as he can post bail and might go on the run again.
“Whether frustrated homicide or frustrated murder, the sad part of it is this road bully will be out on bail sooner than expected and he will be on the road again,” Inton told Cebu Daily News.
He also enjoined authorities to ensure that no special treatment be given to Lim, as he noted that the young man has already been getting privileges because his family has connections to those in power.
“The Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection hopes that his case be tried with dispatch so that we can set an example that a road bully, no matter how influential he is, is not above the law,” he added.
Joel Maloloy-on, operations head of LTO-7, affirmed that since Lim’s license is still active, he can still drive and use his license after he is freed on bail.
But he said they will write a letter to Lim anytime within this week to ask him to explain why LTO-7 should not suspend or revoke his license.
“We also have a due process to follow and we cannot immediately suspend or revoke his license,” Maloloy-on told CDN yesterday.
According to Maloloy-on, his office still needs to know what happened before the shooting incident took place in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City last Sunday.
Maloloy-on said that among the grounds in suspending a driver’s license are habitual commission of violation of LTO regulations, reckless driving, and involvement in vehicular accidents that result to loss of lives or to physical injuries.
“As soon as we receive his reply, LTO-7 will evaluate and decide on what sanction will be given,” he said.
LTO-7 also encouraged Ephraim Montalbo Nuñal, the Cebuano nurse who was shot and wounded by Lim, to submit his account of the incident to the LTO so it can be considered before any action will be taken against Lim.
The vehicle involved in the incident, a Mercedez Benz, was not touched by the police as there was no vehicular incident prior to the shooting of Nuñal, according to CCPO chief Joel Doria in a separate interview.