Former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Executive Secretary Jeffrey Tumbado, the "whistleblower" who exposed the corruption in the agency, was detained in the House of Representatives after he was cited for contempt on Monday, Oct. 23.
During the House Committee on Transportation's hearing, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta motioned to cite Tumbado for contempt due to the inconsistencies of his answers to lawmakers' inquiries.
"Mr. Chair. Ako po, ang motion ko ay i-cite natin siya for contempt dahil sa ginawa niya sa atin sa umagang ito. Ito ay kawalan ng paggalang. Huwag na ako [ang galangin], ito pong kasamahan ko rito at ang kabanalan ng pagdinig na ito. Hindi po biro-biro ito eh," Marcoleta said.
"Hangga't hindi mo [Tumbado] naipapakita sa amin na dapat ka naming paniwalaan. Bigyan mo kami ng pagkakataon na mahusgahan ka namin, na meron pang natitira sa pagkatao mo na may natitira na pwede ka naming paniwalaan na magagamit ng komiteng ito," he added.
The former LTFRB Executive Secretary was also cited in contempt after he admitted that he had "no direct evidence" to prove that suspended LTFRB Chief Teofilo 'Jojo' Guadiz was among the government officials behind the illegal transaction in the agency.
"Wala po kasi akong ebidensya, direct evidences na magpapatunay na ma pi-pinpoint si chair sa allegations," Tumbado told House lawmakers.
"Wala, your Honor, opinion ko lang po iyon," he said.
Tumabado will be detained in the lower house for 10 days, according to reports.
Last October 11, he executed an affidavit of recantation stating that his earlier statement that implicated Guadiz II and transportation department and Malacañang officials in the LTFRB corruption "were all unintentional and misguided."
"That all of the things were borne out of impulse, irrational thinking, misjudgments, poor decision making and was encouraged by some individuals to make the statement which may have added to my confusion and affected by the better judgment," he added.
