On June 3, 2023, my sister almost died. It was a supposedly ordinary Saturday, with most of my family and me still asleep at 6 am, while my younger sister headed to East Ave Medical Center for her internship duties. But on the way, things took a turn. 

As my sister and her boyfriend were driving to work, a car suddenly rear-ended them at a red light on EDSA Southbound near Timog Avenue in Quezon City. Despite the lights turning green, the car continued ramming into them repeatedly. When both cars were finally incapacitated, my sister immediately took out her phone and began recording. She knew the importance of gathering evidence to prove the recklessness that had just occurred. As she panned the camera on the driver seat of the other car, there was a woman who was passed out drunk. Her head was bowing low because she was sleeping. Vomit covered the interior, and the stench of alcohol was overpowering. There were a number of witnesses; the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrived promptly to assist with the traffic and attend to my sister and her boyfriend. The drunk driver was still unconscious when they were all taken to the nearest police station. 

At the Kamuning Police Station-10 QCPD, my sister wasted no time in providing an honest and detailed report of the incident. The police suggested that she try to reach a settlement directly with the other party before proceeding further. However, the drunk driver was still asleep, so they had to wait for her to wake up. My sister questioned why the drunk driver couldn’t be charged immediately, citing Republic Act (RA) 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act, which states that any driver caught driving under the influence may face imprisonment and/or fines. Despite presenting videos, photos, and other compelling evidence, the police deemed it insufficient. They insisted that only a sobriety test conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) could validate her intoxicated state and lead to penalties. My sister inquired about the whereabouts of the LTO officers, only to discover that they had been calling the LTO to their station without any response. To make matters worse, she learned that there was a queue of drunk drivers waiting to be tested, all of whom had been apprehended for driving under the influence. When she suggested that the police at the station should be capable of conducting sobriety tests, as permitted by law, she was informed that they lacked the necessary testing equipment. 

We had no choice but to hope that an LTO officer eventually arrives at the station, or else all the drunk drivers would be able to go free, including the driver who rear-ended my sister. They will be free to drive recklessly again, free to endanger lives, and free to think that their actions carried no consequences. 

The LTO failed us that day. They never showed up. My sister and the drunk driver never reached a fair settlement, one that would offer some semblance of justice to the actual victims.

That drunk driver walked away without even a warning from the police that day. She was very proud of herself for getting away. 

The only thing we can do to get some justice is to file a case. But, after researching and talking to a couple of lawyers, the process will take months and thousands of pesos, even with such a strong case like ours. But it’s time and money we don’t have. And it hurts that that’s the end of it, and we can’t do anything about it. We let the insurance take care of it, but we still have to pay for the deductibles, the parts needed, the various fees, etc. 

I am heartbroken with the state of our system. That drunk driver could’ve killed my sister that day. Despite the overwhelming evidence — a recorded confession, the actual driver passed out drunk with her vomit at the police station — the authorities did nothing. The LTO was nowhere to be found, and there were no sobriety tests available at the station. 

It seems that justice has become an elusive dream rather than a reality. We are trapped in a nightmarish system where people can no longer be held accountable, and the law no longer protects because the people who enforce it are indifferent and unjust. 

This entire ordeal has cast a darker shadow on our country, exposing its flaws in an even more glaring light. Where is the LTO when we need them? Why are there no sobriety tests readily available? Where is the justice we deserve? 

We must demand change. The incident involving my sister and the drunk driver is not an isolated case. It represents a broader problem of inadequate enforcement and the lack of access to justice. Let us not resign ourselves to this broken system. Instead, let us strive for a future where accountability and justice prevail, for our own sake and our future children. – Rappler.com

Gabbie Clemente is a UX/UI writer with a diverse range of passions. From socio-economical issues, the environment and children’s welfare, to personal reflections, she writes for the people and herself.