Abante pushes for House inquiry into alleged corruption in LTFRB
FOLLOWING the suspension of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairperson (LTFRB) Teofilo Guadiz III, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. urged the House of Representatives (HOR) to conduct an inquiry into allegations of corruption in the agency mandated to regulate land-based public transportation and safeguard the welfare and interests of Filipino commuting commuters.
According to Abante, the suspension of Guadiz by no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “is an indicator that the administration takes these allegations of corruption seriously.”
Though a key figure in the corruption allegations has withdrawn his original statements implicating Guadiz and other officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTR), the lawmaker said it is incumbent upon the House to conduct an inquiry in order to ascertain the extent and nature of the alleged irregularities in the LTFRB.
“While the whistleblower has recanted his initial statements accusing Atty. Guadiz and other officials of corruption, he maintains that there are still problems in the LTFRB that merit an immediate inquiry,” said the lawmaker.
“What are these problems? How do LTFRB officials exploit the agency’s regulatory functions to extort millions from transport companies and groups? Who are these officials? These are just a few of the questions we want answers to.”
Abante on Wednesday filed House Resolution No. 1381, which urges the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into graft allegations involving the LTFRB in connection with the implementation of Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
The resolution also calls for the suspension of the PUVMP pending the results of the investigation.
The lawmaker, a member of the House Committee on Transportation, added that he would also support the move of House Transportation Committee Chairperson and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop to pursue an investigation into allegations of graft in the LTFRB.
According to Abante, suspending the PUVMP while the inquiry is ongoing “will benefit the program as it will allow us to identify ways to insulate it and other LTFRB processes from graft.”
“Regulatory agencies like the LTFRB provide opportunities for criminal minds who take advantage of transport groups that want to secure franchises. May mga grupo na nagrereklamo na, at dapat lang tingnan kung paano natin matutulungan ang mga ito.”
