‘Do we look like clowns here?’ Smiling DOTr exec irked Tulfo

Sen. Raffy Tulfo (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA,  Philippines — A transportation official drew the wrath of Sen. Raffy Tulfo for smiling during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Department of  Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista was just starting to present the budget proposal of his office for 2025 before the Senate subcommittee on finance when Tulfo called the attention of DOTr Usec. Reinier Paul Yebra.

“Makisingit lang. Usec. Yebra, kanina ka pa ngumiti-ngiti. Mamaya maalis yung ngiti mo dahil napag alaman ko yung in-escortan niyo na nahuli sa bus lane, yung tatay noon kasamahan niyo,” Tulfo said.

(Just a quick interjection. Usec. Yebra, you’ve been smiling for a while now. That smile might fade later because I found out that the person you escorted and who was caught in the bus lane, his father is one of your colleagues.)

“Now, don’t make this a laughing matter. Kanina ka pa nakangisi. Mamaya ipapa-cite kita in contempt. Don’t you ever do that,” he added.

Tulfo repeated his threat to expose the DOTr’s link to a sports utility vehicle (SUV)  driver caught using the Edsa carousel lane last July 28.

“Sige ngumisi ka pa (Go ahead, keep smiling),” he said.

At this point, panel chairman Sen. JV Ejercito rPresident fires BI chief over Guo messeminded everyone to practice proper decorum during the hearing.

READ: Pissed Robin Padilla tells ‘barumbado’ DFA exec: I am a senator, you must respect me

A calmer Tulfo went on to address transportation officials to take the budget hearing seriously, especially after learning that a huge amount of the DOTr’s funding allegedly went to corruption.

“And then nakikita kita pangisi-ngisi ka dyan kanina pa. Sa umpisa pa lang nakita ko tumatawa ka dyan kay Secretary Bautista, nagbubulungan kayo, nakangisi kayong pareho. Don’t do that. Do we look like clowns here?”  the senator asked.

(And then I see you grinning over there for a while now. From the start, I noticed you laughing with Secretary Bautista, whispering to each other, both of you were smiling. Don’t do that. Do we look like clowns here?)

Yebra clarified that he was not smiling.

“There’s something wrong with my teeth right now. Kakaopera ko lang po Mr. Chair… but I apologize,”  the official said.

“Okay pero be serious,” Tulfo said.

The case of the SUV driver identified as Christopher Lim De Vera was tackled last August 13 during the  Senate committee on public services hearing headed by Tulfo.

Aside from illegally using the bus lane, De Vera was also found to be drunk.

But instead of bringing him to the police station, De Vera was reportedly escorted to his condo in Taguig City by three personnel of the DOTr’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation.

READ: 3 DOTr personnel in hot water for ‘escorting’ Edsa bus lane violator