Erap bares P150,000 per day bribe offer

MANILA, Philippines - Some groups have reportedly offered to “deliver” bribes of at least P150,000 per day to keep an illegal bus terminal in Lawton open, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said yesterday.

The offer was relayed to Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, who was designated the city’s traffic czar.

“The daily goodwill money was P150,000. It’s a package deal,” Estrada told reporters during a weekly forum at the Diamond Hotel.

He did not elaborate on the alleged bribe try but Moreno, who was also present during the forum, said the money was in exchange for allowing unregistered or “colorum” public utility buses to continue to use the Lawton area as their terminal. 

He said when the city government implemented an ordinance banning buses with no franchise and terminals, Lawton was cleared of colorum vehicles.

Moreno said the city government has provided city and provincial buses an alternative terminal near Plaza Lawton but as of yesterday, few bus firms took up the offer because many of them do not have a franchise. 

He said in the past, operators of colorum buses were able to conduct business by bribing traffic policemen and city officials.

Under the new scheme, Moreno said bus firms are required to pay a minimal amount for the use of the two terminals in Lawton, provided they present their franchises and submit their plate number, which will be posted on signs issued by the city government.

“But some bus (firms) are reluctant to use the terminal because they will be exposed” as colorum operators, Moreno said.