MANILA — Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has directed the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to suspend the confiscation of driver’s licenses in traffic apprehension cases, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Thursday.

In a memorandum issued on January 9, Lopez also revised the lead time for settling traffic violations from 15 calendar days to 15 working days, saying the change “affords both the government and the public sufficient time to resolve cases.”

“Ibig sabihin po nito, hindi kasama ‘yung mga holiday at long weekend sa bilang ng araw kapag magse-settle ng violation ‘yung driver,” Lopez said.

The move comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DOTr to streamline procedures for apprehending motorists whose licenses have been confiscated.

While license confiscation is suspended, the LTO will place the violator’s license under alert and strictly enforce automatic suspension or revocation if the driver fails to settle the case within 15 working days.

Lopez also instructed the LTO to revisit all relevant issuances to ensure consistency across existing policies. The memorandum circular takes effect immediately.