JEFF Tumbado, the former executive assistant of suspended Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Teofilo Guadiz III, is now detained at the House of Representatives after he was cited in contempt last Monday for flip-flopping on his claim of corruption in the agency.
Tumbado had earlier irked congressmen for failing to give substantial and consistent answers throughout the House Committee on Transportation’s probe of his corruption allegations in the LTFRB.
Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (PL, Sagip) said Tumbado was making a mockery of the congressional power to hold investigations in aid of legislation “and we cannot let this discourtesy pass.
“We don’t have time for you. You wasted the time of all congressmen who came here,” Marcoleta said. “We cannot rely on the answers of this resource person.”
Marcoleta then moved to cite Tumbado in contempt, prompting Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation, to approve the motion after no objection was raised.
Tumbado claimed he was just making a personal opinion when he accused Guadiz and the LTFRB of corruption, a statement that did not sit well with congressmen who felt the resource person only wasted their time.
Marcoleta continued to question Tumbado, asking him if the committee would still get something that would convince them to believe him and his reasons for recanting his allegations.
In response, Tumbado said he doesn’t have evidence that will prove Guadiz was involved in corruption.
Marcoleta tagged Tumbado’s behavior during the inquiry as “disrespectful,” stressing to him the hearing was “not a joke.”
“I believe the answers supplied by Mr. Tumbado to us for every question asked by each member did not bring any consolation, did not bring any enlightenment on the part of the members of this committee. After each and every question, Mr. Chair, there has not been any basis for us to believe any of his statements and answers or replies to every question,” Marcoleta said.
Tumbado will be detained at the House for a maximum of 10 days.
The transport group “Magnificent 7” had earlier held a rally expressing support for Guadiz. The group called on President Marcos Jr. to reinstate Guadiz.