MANILA — Senate Committee on Public Services Chair Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday all but named the senator whose relative was aboard the SUV that was caught with an allegedly fake '7' protocol plate while using the EDSA Busway last weekend. 

Upon the prodding of the media, Tulfo urged the passenger of the vehicle to come forward, saying all senators were under suspicion until the matter was settled.

"And I know for a fact, na wala sa 24 senators namin ang involved doon sa iskandalong yun sa EDSA. Although, I also know for a fact na ito related sa isang senador," Tulfo said.

(I know for a fact that none of the 24 senators were involved in the scandal on EDSA. Although I also know for a fact that the passenger is related to a senator)

He made it clear that the unnamed senator was not in the Cadillac SUV that was caught on video using the EDSA Busway and running away from enforcers.

"Doon sa nag-violate, doon sa VIP, umamin ka na lang. I-surrender mo yung tunay mong driver. And then mag-apologize ka. Humarap ka," he also said.

(To the violator, to the VIP, own up to what you did. Surrender the actual driver and apologize. You have to face this.)

The Land Transportation Office earlier Wednesday held a press conference with the man they said was the driver in the incident and a director of Orient Pacific Corp., a company that is the registered owner of the SUV.

The company declined to give details, saying only that the SUV was a company car used to ferry guests and investors. It also declined to name the passengers of the SUV, citing an internal company investigation and the passengers' privacy.

READ: LTO identifies owner of SUV with '7' plate that used EDSA Busway

No such consideration was given to driver Angelo Edpan, who apologized for the infraction and whom the LTO issued a ticket to.

When presented by media with information that the vehicle was listed in the name of a company registered under the names of William and Kenneth Gatchalian, brother of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Tulfo told media it seemed to match his own information.

READ: Gatchalian denies owning vehicle caught using EDSA busway

SENATORS DENY INVOLVEMENT

Tulfo said when news broke of the incident, he talked to his colleagues who he knew had similar vehicles, and all said they didn't have one.

"Sinabi nila na hindi, hindi ako yan, hindi ako yan, hindi ako yan, hindi ako yan. And true enough, hindi nga talaga sila. Dahil kamag-anak ng isa sa kanila. Kamag-anak. Yung VIP, nasa likod, kamag-anak ng senador. "

(They said it wasn't them, and true enough, it really wasn't because it was a relative. The VIP in the back is related to a senator)

READ: Dela Rosa denies owning SUV with '7' plate that used EDSA Busway

Citing his own information, Tulfo said the passenger arrived by air from Japan on November 3 and was en route to a casino hotel in Quezon City. 

Edpan told the LTO news conference that he had picked up the passenger from a restaurant and that they were heading to a mall in Mandaluyong when he decided on his own to use the EDSA Busway.

Tulfo said he would get in touch with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for more information since the SUV passenger supposedly has a security personnel who is a former member of the military.

"At siyempre, pag natukoy yun, kakausapin natin yung security, most probably, baka sabihin niya yung sino yung kanyang VIP."

(Of course, once we identify that security personnel, he might name the VIP he works for)

TULFO TO GO AFTER MMDA

Tulfo said he plans to go after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in a committee investigation he plans to lead, saying the agency may be trying to hide something.

"Very uncooperative itong MMDA. Parang meron silang tinatago. Parang meron silang pinagtatakpan. Why? At nakapagtaka. Palagi may nakakatakas dyan sa bus lane na yan. Anong ginagawa nito mga motorcycle units, unit ng MMDA. Palagay ko ginagamit ito pang escort sa mga VIP," he said.

(It's like they are trying to protect someone. And what makes me wonder is why people always manage to escape from the bus lane. What are their motorcycle units for? I think these are just being used to escort VIPs)  

MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the agency can always help if they have an enforcer present but the MMDA is no longer deployed to secure the busway, which the Department of Transportation now has jurisdiction over.

Artes told Senate reporters he doesn't know why Tulfo is claiming they refused a request for the MMDA's CCTV footage of the incident.

Tulfo has floated the idea of increasing the fines for the use of the busway to P50,000.