Tulfo confirms passenger of SUV on busway is related to a senator

Sen. Raffy Tulfo during one of the Senate hearings. File poto / Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — The VIP passenger aboard the white Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) bearing plate number 7 that allegedly attempted to run over a lady enforcer in Guadalupe is related to a senator, Sen. Raffy Tulfo confirmed on Wednesday.

In a press conference, Tulfo was asked whether or not circulating reports that the vehicle was listed under the names of William and Kenneth Gatchalian — father and brother of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian — are legitimate.

“Ang may ari ng sasakyan ay yung Orient Pacific Corporation na kung saan board members nga ang nabanggit mong pangalan,” said Tulfo.

(The owner of the vehicle is the Orient Pacific Corporation whose board members are the ones you mentioned.)

The senator was then pressed to determine whether he has the same information, to which he answered in the affirmative.

“Based on my intel, [the information] seems to match],” he said.

“Right now 24 senators are being accused and I know for a fact that none of our 24 senators are involved in that scandal. Although, I also know for a fact that this is related to a senator but the senator was not the one riding the SUV at that time,” Tulfo explained in a mix of Filipino and English.

Tulfo then detailed the whereabouts of the vehicle the day the incident happened.

According to him, the VIP passenger arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on November 3, from Tokyo to Manila. He said the passenger boarded the vehicle and left Naia at around 6:30 p.m.

“He used the Skyway northbound going to Magallanes, then exited there. When he exited Edsa, in the Guadalupe area,  they were stopped there and my intel told me that the vehicle was going to Solaire [in] Quezon City,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Tulfo, for his part, said he intends to file a resolution seeking to probe the matter. He said he would draft and file a resolution, in aid of legislation, to stop incidents such as this.

“Primarily the reason I want senate investigation bakit may nakakatakas dyan palagi. At na[ka]kita ako ng problema. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority ang malaking problema rito,” he said.

(Primarily the reason I want a Senate investigation is to know why someone always escapes there. And I saw a problem. Mmda is the big problem here.)

Meanwhile, Tulfo likewise called on the VIP passenger to come out and finally come clean.

“Kung ako doon sa pasahero huwag mo nang pahirapan pa ang maraming tao, aminin mo na, sabihin mo na, nagkamali ka. I-surrender mo yung driver mo and mag-apologize,” he said.

(To the passenger — don’t torture many people, admit it, say it, you made a mistake. Surrender your driver and apologize.)