Manila: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday permanently revoked the driver's license of a taxi driver and effectively imposed a lifetime ban on his eligibility to obtain any type of driver's license after he was caught overcharging a foreign vlogger.

According to Philippines News Agency, following a hearing conducted by the LTO's Intelligence and Investigation Division, the driver was found guilty of being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle and of overcharging a foreign passenger. The LTO emphasized its commitment to taking action against those who exploit passengers, aiming to protect the public and ensure safe and orderly transport services.

The taxi involved in the incident remains impounded and under alarm status, as dictated by the show-cause order previously issued against the driver. The case originated from a viral Facebook post on the page "MY RIDE PH" dated August 6, which depicted the driver allegedly attempting to charge a foreign passenger PHP2,000 for a trip from the airport to his destination.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao initiated an investigation that identified the driver and the taxi's registered owner. The investigation revealed that the vehicle's registration had expired, and the driver had pending administrative cases for other traffic violations.

"Hindi lamang panlilinlang sa mga pasahero ang overcharging, kundi isang paglapastangan sa tiwala ng publiko at sa integridad ng ating pampublikong transportasyon (Overcharging is not just deception against passengers, but a violation of public trust and the integrity of our public transportation)," Lacanilao stated.