Trial by Social Media: Who is winning this James Deakin vs LTO issue?
It's only the first week of 2026 and already there's a big motoring issue
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UPDATE: This op-ed was published about 45 minutes before the Department of Transportation (DOTr) stepped in with a directive to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to announce that they were changing the 15-calendar day violation settlement period to 15-working days as well as suspending license confiscation.
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The last 72 hours have been a rather divisive one in the motoring media industry, judging by the hornet’s nest kicked up on social media.
James Deakin made a post recounting an ordeal -for lack of a better term- that stemmed from a traffic incident. His youngest son, Daniel, was apprehended for a driving error on Skyway 3: crossing a double yellow line that demarcated the exit, which was also elevated to a reckless driving charge. That’s the typical par for the course when being apprehended, when you disregard any kind of traffic sign: you’re being reckless.
They’re not lamenting that -except for the reckless part, which he thought to be some kind of criminal offense- but rather the process that followed at the LTO. He wanted his son to own up to the mistake and do the proper thing in retrieving his license at the LTO itself, paying the fines, and learning the lesson, only to find that the deadlines had lapsed, hampered by the holidays and a need to have documentation that was missing at the time: the OR/CR.
It blew up, as anything James says. Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, the chief of the Land Transportation Office, was quick to issue a statement and posted the same as a comment on the many shares of the now viral post from Deakin. He stated that the agency recognizes the circumstances and will investigate the claim that the violation was improperly classified as reckless driving and that there were some unusual documentary requirements.
He vowed to investigate, and they did so by reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, among others. What followed was an alleged bizarre twist of events that can rival your favorite telenovela.
Full disclosure: I may never have been able to enter this industry without James. He was the one who interviewed and hired a very young Vince for a very entry-level writing job at an auto magazine back in 2006. After three years of working with the guy, what I can tell you is that while he sucks with deadlines, he is one hell of a storyteller. I -we- were very envious of his innate ability to craft a story that can drive a point and is enjoyable to read at the same time. We think of the many "Deakinitis" moments, though sometimes we even get gems that stoke emotions, particularly this one story from 20 years ago called Heart of England.
He is a born storyteller with a lot of charisma. Perhaps that’s why he became such a huge brand after leaving the publishing world behind, and is a natural as an events host. Be that as it may, I will say what needs to be said: there was more to the incident, and the LTO found it.
The CCTV footage of the actual incident showed a very last-minute lane change just before the northbound Skyway 3 exit at Quezon Avenue, and was done right in front of the traffic enforcer who was manning the exit. For future reference: if you miss the Quezon Avenue exit, there is another exit about a kilometer or so down the road that gives you a longer route, but far less traffic volume.
Given that the driver was trying to squeeze into the queue, he caused a build-up of traffic. It was disregarding traffic signs and obstruction, at the very least. Careless would be the proper term, but reckless seems apt.
The real bombshell that seems to have derailed Deakin's crusade came in the form of the revelation that the pick-up truck itself was a loaner unit, a media test vehicle like the ones we usually use for our article and video reviews. The problem here is that the vehicle didn’t have an official receipt or a certificate of registration. It hasn’t been registered yet, according to the LTO chief. Now the brand that loaned the car has some explaining to do.
There’s also the rule, especially amongst us in the media that only the writer/editor/host who signed for it is allowed to drive a demo car. There’s generally no issue if an alternate driver is an official representative for the company, but for family members that's a different issue. Unless there is an understanding between the car company and the media personality, family members shouldn't drive a demo car. That, however, is between them.
As I see it, it is better to have rips and holes in your underwear than rips and holes in your story.
One does not publicly kick up dust with city hall unless you have all the angles covered and all other proper avenues exhausted to make a difference. And one especially doesn’t do it against a newly-installed LTO chief who is good at defending himself. Lacanilao survived a grilling and detention at the Senate for being the one who personally escorted FPRRD to the ICC at The Hague.
The plot went sideways. Smelling blood and distress, every Tom, Dick, and Harry - particularly those who may have an ax to grind against James - are getting in on the action. You don’t get to the top of your game without making a few people very envious of your success and fame. And that’s what I’m seeing here.
Moreover, in the age of social media, so many people in the industry want to get in on the action and the clicks just for the sake of engagement. But save a thought for Daniel. He made a big mistake on the road, as we all do. James publicized the complexity of the process to resolve it on social media, and to say it has backfired is quite an understatement.
I can’t imagine how the kid must be feeling. It makes me wish kids could grow up in the old days before social media, if we knew then about how it was going to be weaponized and how truth can be twisted as it is today. Back when I was 18, there wasn’t any CCTV footage published on media to scrutinize my many mistakes on the road. Strangers can’t just randomly bully you online from the safety of their living rooms. I actually have respect for the bullies of that era because they had to do it in person, not behind a phone or a keyboard.
When this dust settles, there will be a winner. It’s not the camp of James; this is a smudge on his reputation, but it’ll blow over in time. The guy is a brand already at this point, and he always finds a way to drive a good point. I always joke with him that there will come a time when I go to a restroom in a gas station, and I’ll see his face on an ad on the wall to pawn your OR/CR. The irony just dawned on me.
Asec. Lacanilao and the LTO won’t win anyone over either. Public opinion will probably remain unchanged on how it is to deal with the agency, unless they make some long-term changes. And even if these changes take hold, they will likely be undone with a new administration in a few years.
The only real winners here: the fixers.
Why would a sane individual take a day (or maybe more) out of their work week to go to legally sort out the violation if the process can be made ridiculous? Why would they even bother to contest a charge? Even if they win, they lose a day they won’t get back. Just call a fixer or approach one of the guys-that-know-a-guy outside LTO gates to step around the red tape for a fee to sort it out. Heck, if they have well-connected parents or relatives, they’ll just call in a favor.
We don’t even need to let it get to that point: at a traffic stop, why wouldn’t a sane motorist hand over a license with a neatly tucked-in PHP 1000 bill in the holder to the LGU or MMDA enforcer to look the other way so they can go about their day? It makes even more sense now to any rational individual. Idealism be damned.
Time is precious. Peace of mind is precious. And people are willing to pay for that, rather than the stress, hours, and emotional pain of the process, adjudication, and even trial by social media.
The fixers are the real winners. And that means we average motorists are the real losers.
