LTFRB chief eludes arrest

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chief Ma. Elena Bautista, with the help of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, stayed inside an immigration office at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal yesterday to avoid sheriffs of a Quezon City court out to serve an arrest warrant for indirect contempt.

The court earlier issued an arrest warrant against Bautista after she failed to comply with an order to transfer the franchise of a bus company.

Judge Afable Cajigal of Quezon City RTC Branch 96 issued the warrant after Bautista ignored a May 3 court order to transfer the franchise.

To avoid detection by the sheriffs, Bautista crossed over through a secret passageway connecting the domestic and international areas of the Centennial Terminal.

She was assisted by Gonzalez after they stepped off from an Air Philippines flight from Iloilo, which landed at around 3:30 p.m.

Safe from arrest inside the Bureau of Immigration office at the international arrival area, Bautista and Gonzalez immediately came out with a "very urgent motion for reconsideration" that was immediately transmitted to Cajigal.

Emerging from the BI office after almost two hours, Bautista, in an impromptu press briefing with airport reporters, downplayed the incident.

"It’s nothing. I’m stress free as you can see," she said.

Bautista said the arrest warrant was issued by the court in connection with a civil case involving the sale of bus franchises between Inland Trailways and Don-Don Liner, which won the bidding to own the former’s franchise.

It was learned that Cajigal had issued an order for the transfer of franchise between the two parties which the LTFRB had so far failed to obey due to appeals filed by one party in the case.

Because of the LTFRB’s non-compliance, Bautista said that she was cited for indirect contempt and an arrest warrant was immediately issued by Cajigal.

Despite the granting of her "very urgent motion for reconsideration" by Cajigal, Bautista said she was intent on reviewing the swift issuance by the judge of the arrest warrant against her.

"We want to study this case," Bautista said.

Gonzalez echoed Bautista’s observation over the swift issuance of an arrest warrant.

"We find that questionable because she was charged with indirect contempt," Gonzalez said.

The DOJ chief said he and Bautista were fellow guests of honor in the inauguration of halls of justice in Iloilo.

They were passengers in the Air Philippines flight, where he was told about Bautista’s problem over the issuance of an arrest warrant.

"I will not allow her to be arrested," Gonzalez said. – With Perseus Echeminada, Sandy Araneta