Actress and Taytay, Rizal councilor Cai Cortez is ordered to explain to the LTO after a video showed her dancing while driving without a seatbelt
Taytay, Rizal councilor and actress Cai Cortez had her driver’s license suspended for 90 days after a video allegedly showed her dancing behind the wheel while her vehicle was moving.
Based on a report by Andrew Ronquillo of The Philippine Star, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) issued a show cause order against Cortez on Saturday, November 14, 2026. She was reportedly seen recording herself and swaying to the music with her hands off the steering wheel.
According to Daily Tribune, the LTO said the video was uploaded by the councilor herself on her Facebook page. In the clip, she allegedly took one hand off the steering wheel to dance, which shifted her attention away from the road and toward the camera. The agency added that she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
The video caught the attention of Gabriel Go, head of the MMDA Special Operations Group-Strike Force, who reshared it on social media. In his post quoted by Balita, Go wrote: “Hindi man hawak ang camera o cellphone, pero yung pagbitaw ng manibela can cause your life or others in just a split second.” (Even if you are not holding the camera or phone, letting go of the steering wheel can cost your life or others in just a split second.)
The show cause order directs Cortez to appear before the LTO’s Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) at its Central Office on November 23 to submit a sworn statement and supporting documents. She is facing possible violations of reckless driving, the Anti-Distracted Driving Act and the Mandatory Use of Seatbelt Law.
As reported by INQUIRER.net, she was also ordered to surrender her license for the 90-day suspension, and the vehicle seen in the video was placed under alarm. Her license may be suspended longer or revoked if she is found to be an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.
LTO chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao stressed that “road safety should not be sacrificed just to create content.” He added that every driver has a responsibility to follow traffic laws and drive responsibly, “regardless of their position in society.”
As of this writing, Cortez has yet to issue a statement on the matter, according to Bandera.
The LTO said it will continue to monitor motorists who engage in distracted driving and urged the public to report similar incidents to the agency.
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