Bersamin: Premature to comment on LFTRB corruption issues

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Monday said that it's too early to provide any commentary regarding the corruption accusations directed at Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.

Bersamin said this in a chance interview after former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) official Jeff Tumbado reportedly dragged Bautista into the alleged corruption and claimed that the Transport chief received corruption money.

"Premature for me to say anything yet since they are still investigating the issue," Bersamin said.

In a press briefing earlier this week, Tumbado made an accusation that LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III was the focal point of a "lagayan scheme," where the official consistently received payments of up to P5 million in return for expeditious approval of special permits, franchises, and route modifications.

Tumbado also claimed that operators are asked to provide a 50 percent initial payment, with the remaining amount to be handed over once their request is approved.

He also asserted that each LTFRB regional director had to contribute a monthly quota of P2 million, resulting in a total monthly collection of P30 million.

He also boldly claimed that the bribes go up to the Department of Transportation and the Office of the President.

During the same press conference, Tumbado had indicated his intention to initiate legal actions against the purported corrupt officials within the week.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended Guadiz after his alleged involvement in corrupt activities. As a result of Guadiz's suspension, Atty. Mercy Paras Leynes, a board member, has been appointed as the interim head and chairperson of the LTFRB.

In a separate statement, Bautista also refuted claims of his involvement in corruption and announced his intention to pursue legal action against those who accuse him of misconduct.

Bautista dismissed the corruption allegations as "baseless" and emphasized that he had not accepted any monetary benefits or favors during his tenure as transportation secretary.

"When I took the helm of the Department of Transportation, I vowed to serve the country and the Filipino people with integrity, which to me is more precious than any material wealth," Bautista said.

In the same statement, Bautista said he would also file a complaint, which he did not specify, against "whoever has been maligning" him. He did not mention the transport group.

"I intend to strongly defend the truth and my name," he said.

*Whistleblower recants corruption allegations*

Meanwhile, Tumbado has issued a new statement in which he offered apologies to anyone his accusations may have negatively impacted.

"After a careful reflection and deliberation, it is my honest desire to reiterate whatever allegations may have been said during the press conference on 9 October 2023, where the public declaration was made were all unintentional and misguided," Tumbado said in an affidavit of recantation signed on Wednesday.

"All of the things said were borne out of impulse, irrational thinking, misjudgment, poor decision making and was encouraged by some individuals to make the statement which may have added to my confusion and affected my better judgment," Tumbado said in the document obtained by Daily Tribune.

Tumbado added that he issued a sworn affidavit as a form of public apology in favor of Guadiz, Bautista, and the Office of the President. He also pointed out that he has "no malicious intention to besmirch the integrity and reputation of anyone."

Despite Tumbado retracting his allegations, he continues to assert that issues persist within the agency.

"However, I still stand by the issue that there is indeed problems in the agency concerned that requires immediate investigation by authorities concerned and those responsible be held accountable," he stated in the affidavit.

He did not specify what these "problems" were or who those "authorities concerned" were.