After drawing flak, DOTr says Tugade's license only for demo

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s application for a driver’s license card with five-year validity was only for demonstration, the department clarified after netizens pointed out that Tugade does not drive.

Tugade’s application, which took around eight to nine minutes yesterday during the ceremonial roll-out of new plastic driver’s licenses, was said to be done to test the efficiency of the new system.

He would have obtained his license card within five minutes but it took longer after he deliberately placed errors on his application.

READ: LTO rolls out five-year driver’s licenses

This statement came as a response to a report of The Philippine STAR columnist Boo Chanco who said that Tugade does not know how to drive.

"But he told me he doesn't know how to drive. LTO didn't give him a driving test?" Chanco said on Twitter. The tweet was spread by hundreds of users on the micro-blogging site.

To be a non-professional license holder, one must pass the basic driving theory test and practical driving test.

Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10930, which extends the validity of the driver’s license from three to five years.

It can be prolonged to 10 years if the applicant does not commit any violation.

READ: New laws: Extended validity of licenses and passports; free internet in public places

The distribution of plastic driver’s license card for new applicants and those who applied for renewal will start in Metro Manila and will be implemented in other regions by next month.

Holders of paper driver’s licenses, who registered since October 2016, will be issued their plastic cards starting September.