Female motorist faces cybercrime rap

ILOILO CITY — A female motorist who figured in a four-hour standoff with a traffic enforcer in Iloilo City is facing charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, following her viral social media outburst.

Transportation and Traffic Management Office (TTMO) head Uldarico Garbanzos confirmed that the case was filed before the Iloilo City Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.

The filing proceeded after receiving clearance from the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit of Police Regional Office 6.

The complaint stems from a traffic altercation on April 22 in Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao district, where the woman was flagged for making an illegal right turn.

Rather than handing over her driver's license, she began live-streaming the confrontation on Facebook.

During the livestream, she hurled insults and defamatory remarks at the TTMO personnel, calling one of them corrupt and personally attacking their character. The incident drew public attention and lasted for nearly four hours.

"It was found out that the comments and the words of the woman were very personal and do not reflect the kind of apprehension. Very unethical. There were families involved, children who watched it," Garbanzos told The Manila Times.

While the woman reportedly visited the TTMO office to ask about her violation, Garbanzos said she made no effort to make an amicable settlement with the traffic enforcer.

"In an attempt to settle, there was none. We heard in her pronouncements in interviews that she will answer to the case," he said.

Garbanzos clarified that while motorists have the right to document apprehensions, using these recordings to publicly shame or defame traffic enforcers on social media crosses the line.

"If the video is posted in social media with the intent of a character assassination and mocking our enforcers, well, if she has her rights, our enforcers also have theirs," he added.