MANILA – Jefferson Tumbado, a former official of the Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), did not appear at the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) hearing into his allegation of corruption at the LTFRB despite a subpoena issued against him, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said Monday.
DOJ Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said they will wait for the former aide of suspended LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III to make good on his promise to cooperate with investigators after changing lawyers to represent him.
"Ang huling balita namin ay nagpaalam itong si Mr. Tumbado na hindi siya makakapunta dito sa tinawag na subpoena ng NBI at sinabi ng abugado nung una ay pupunta siya, yung abugado at irerepresent si Mr. Tumbado pero sa oras na ito ay napag-alaman namin na yung kanyang abugado na unang pumunta sa NBI ay nagbitiw na bilang abugado kay Mr. Tumbado at humihingi ng pagkakataon si Mr. Tumbado daw na kumuha ng panibagong abugado (Based on our last information, Mr. Tumbado requested that he will not be able to attend despite the NBI subpoena and we have learned that the lawyer who earlier represented him has resigned and he is asking for time to get a new lawyer)," Dulay said.
Dulay said the first lawyer did not give any reason why he resigned as Tumbado’s counsel.
"Hindi sinabi pero karapatan naman ng abugado na magbitiw kahit anong oras at karapatan din naman ni Mr. Tumbado na magpalit ng abugado at anytime (There was no reason but every lawyer has the right to resign and Mr. Tumbado has also the right to change counsel anytime),” he said.
He said Tumbado has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the NBI investigation.
“Kaya lang gusto nya na magkaroon siya ng abugado kapag siya ay humarap sa NBI, yun naman ay syempre pagbibigyan natin yan (But he wants to have a lawyer first before he will come to the NBI and we will grant that),” he said.
Tumbado had accused Guadiz of corruption, alleging that money regularly changed hands at the LTFRB in exchange for the issuance of permits for transport routes and franchises.
He has since recanted, in a sworn affidavit, later alleging that his declarations had been "unintentional and misguided."
Tumbado also apologized to Guadiz, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and the Office of the President, and said "things were just said out of impulse and irrational thinking, misjudgment and poor decision-making."
The NBI Anti-Graft Division still issued a subpoena for Tumbado despite his recantation. (PNA)
