A lawmaker recently called on the Land Transportation Office to suspend additional LTO driver's license renewal requirements—specifically a multi-hour driving exam—to help slow down the spread of COVID-19. And it appears the move has caught the attention of the Department of Justice.
According to a report by BusinessWorld, Representative Rufus Rodriguez's House Resolution 2325, which urges the LTO to suspend the driver's license requirement during the pandemic, is now being backed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In a letter signed by undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar sent to transport committee chairperson Edgar Sarmiento, the DOJ reportedly supported Rodriguez's resolution, saying: "(While) it is a function that is necessary, proper and incidental to the power of the LTO to issue driver's licenses [...] it is a function that properly pertains to the LTO and it is not contemplated by EO No. 1101, s. 1985, that said function be performed by an LTO-accredited driving school or institution."
"For this reason, we support the adoption of House Resolution No. 2325," the letter added.
Rodriguez has also released a statement saying he hopes the LTO will finally heed his call for the requirement's suspension.
"We hope that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office will now finally listen and cease from imposing this requirement," the lawmaker said.
This should be an issue worth following in case your driver's license is up for renewal in the near future. The test in question can be taken either offline through accredited driving schools or institutions—for a fee—or online through the Land Transportation Management System Portal, or LTMS Portal, for free.