Guadiz back as LTFRB chief

The Office of the President has lifted the suspension order imposed upon Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, Malacañang confirmed on Sunday.

This comes as ex-LTFRB employee Jefferson Gallos Tumbado executed an Affidavit of Recantation, retracting his accusations against the LTFRB chief of collecting large quantities of money for franchises, routes, special authorization and other papers.

"The Office of the President lifted the suspension order imposed upon LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III after Jefferson Gallos Tumbado, who appears to be the sole witness in his case, executed an Affidavit of Recantation withdrawing his statements and allegations against him," said the Office of the Executive Secretary.

"As such there stands no reason to place chairperson Guadiz under preventive suspension unless a supervening event maintaining the same accusations against him are put forth before the OP," it added.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, for his part, said that Guadiz will return as LTFRB chief today after Malacañang lifted the 90-day suspension.

"The second paragraph of order from the office of the President states that, in view thereof and in the absence of other witnesses against Teofilo Guadiz III, Jefferson Gallos Tumbado being the apparent sole witness in this case, there stands no reason to place Teofilo Guadiz III under further preventive suspension unless a supervening event maintaining the same accusations against him is put forth before this office," Bautista said.

To recall, Guadiz became under fire after allegations of corruptions surfaced and Tumbado disclosed that he withdrew his corruption allegations after he was pressured to recant his statements.

On 23 October, the House Committee on Transportation — during a probe into the LTFRB corruption scandal — cited Tumbado in contempt for flip-flopping on his testimonies and for failure to prove his allegations against Guadiz and the agency.

On Sunday, Tumbado — in an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE — said that National Bureau of Investigation is still investigating his claims and Guadiz's reinstatement is only due to politics as the LTFRB chair "is also an Ilocano."

With Jing Villamente