The Workaholic Vince Dizon

FROM ALL INDICATIONS, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has become the most “popular” cabinet secretary. He gets to appear on front pages of major dailies and eating up airtime in television news programs on an almost daily basis.

These past few weeks, the DOTr chief prominently figured while taking a rail transit, commuting in one of the buses at the EDSA busway, going after thrill-seeking race car drivers, penalizing a vlogger over a traffic violation that almost caused multiple accidents, or inspecting a subway, rail project or any of ongoing transport infrastructure.

He never runs out of Instagrammable ideas, FB shorts/reels and news for the mainstream and bloggers. Some have even opined that he is positioning himself well to be in the political radar for 2028, where he could — with diligence and total public service — win even a senate post. To me this high (media) profile is working to make him very popular and top of the mind of commuters (which we all are, one way or another).

After all, Vince is not new to the political realm. After his undergraduate studies at De La Salle, he worked as economic staff of Senate President Edgardo Angara, from 1996 to 1998..  He also served as his chief of staff from 2002 to 2004.

POLITICS IN 2028?
Vince Dizon reentered government during the time of President Benigno Aquino III, when he became an undersecretary at the Office of the Political Adviser under the Office of the President.

Dizon served in that position until 2013, when he then became a consultant to Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, until July 2016.  

Prior to his being the 41st DoTr secretary in 2025, he also served as President Duterte’s adviser on flagship programs and projects, deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against Covid-19, and president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

With such a background, would we still wonder if politics in 2028 is far from his mind?

ROAD STUNTS
Of late, Dizon suspended the licenses of the supposed race car drivers behind the viral road stunt video in Tagaytay City.’

He ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to suspend their licenses for their involvement in the sports car racing incident in Tagaytay as it intensifies its crackdown on reckless driving.

Dizon’s 90-day suspension order is now the subject of LTO Executive Director Gregorio Pua Jr.’s efforts to identify the drivers involved as “the incident could endanger the lives of road users, and we are now in the process of identifying all the drivers involved.”

The investigation began with the issuance of show cause orders (SCOs) to the registered owners of six sports cars caught on video speeding through public roads in a convoy. The vehicles include two Mazda MX-5s, a Ford Mustang V8, a Nissan Z, a Chevrolet Camaro, and a BMW M4.

Pua said, “Maaring ‘yung registered owner ang mga ‘yun, o ibang mga driver. Wala silang kawala dito dahil may video.”

LICENSES SUSPENDED
In the orders signed by LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Renante Melitante, the registered owners were asked to explain why they should not be held liable for reckless driving and be deemed improper persons to operate a motor vehicle.

The LTO has already moved to suspend the licenses of those directly identified in the video footage, pending further investigation.

Pua said the registered owners were also asked to present the cars’ registration papers and other relevant documents for verification.

“Let this serve as a warning that we will not tolerate this behavior on the road—naka-sports car ka man o motor o tricycle (whether you’re driving a sports car, a motorcycle, or a tricycle),” Pua said. “Umayos tayo sa daan, yun ang gawin natin araw-araw para wala kayong problema sa LTO.”

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