The Anti-Red Tape Authority has ruled that the Land Transportation Office violated the law by imposing an unauthorized documentary requirement in the traffic case involving the son of PGMN anchor James Deakin.
In a January 9, 2026 memorandum addressed to LTO Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, ARTA found that the LTO violated Section 21(b) of Republic Act No. 11032 by requiring a copy of a vehicle’s Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration to release the confiscated driver’s license of Daniel Deakin. ARTA ruled that the OR/CR requirement is not listed in the LTO’s 2025 Citizen’s Charter for adjudicating simple traffic apprehension cases.
Daniel Deakin was apprehended on December 18, 2025 for allegedly crossing a double yellow line at the Stage 3 Skyway in Quezon City. A traffic citation stated that the violation could be settled within 15 days from the date of apprehension.
ARTA noted that James Deakin and his son attempted to settle the violation within the stated period but were unable to do so due to office closures during weekends and government-declared holidays. When they returned to the LTO on January 5, 2026, payment of the fine was accepted, but the driver’s license was withheld after LTO personnel demanded the submission of an OR/CR. The Deakins were also informed that the license had been suspended for failure to settle the violation within the prescribed period.
During a clarificatory meeting, LTO officials admitted that the OR/CR was requested only to supply missing vehicle details in the Temporary Operator’s Permit, specifically the Motor Vehicle File Number. ARTA determined that the omission resulted from the apprehending officer’s failure to properly accomplish the permit and could not be attributed to the motorist.
The ARTA findings directly contradicted public claims made by motoring page VISOR, content creator REAL RYAN, and lawyer Robby Consunji, who had alleged on social media that the Deakin family was at fault and that the LTO’s actions were proper. ARTA ruled that the burden of completing official documentation rests with LTO personnel and that additional requirements not listed in the Citizen’s Charter are prohibited by law.
ARTA also flagged the LTO’s use of calendar days, including holidays and office closures, in counting the settlement period despite the absence of a skeletal workforce, calling for reforms to prevent similar cases.
Among its recommendations, ARTA called for the immediate lifting of the show-cause order against Daniel Deakin, procedural streamlining, officer retraining, improved public information dissemination, and the establishment of online payment systems. It also urged the retroactive application of new Department of Transportation directives extending the settlement period to 15 working days and suspending license confiscation in similar cases, as announced by Giovanni Lopez.
ARTA emphasized that procedural deficiencies by government personnel cannot be passed on to the public. As of posting, James Deakin said his son’s driver’s license remains with the LTO pending final resolution.
