My driver was a congressman’s driver

Christmas gift deliveries in ambulances, a paper bag full of Rolex gift boxes, rides chartered in private helicopters and planes—I never realized my family driver had been witness to a fancier life than me despite working in the editorial world that often revolves around luxury.

A few months ago, stuck in an unusually heavy three-hour crawl from Makati to Ortigas, I struck up a long conversation with my family driver.

Jolly, quiet, and only a year older than me at 31, he had been our driver for about five years. At this point, I knew he had worked for somebody in government as one of his first jobs around 2019. But driving through the potholes and the infrastructure that made our drive so long and taxing, I started to ask about his past employment working for a congressman. And the small talk quickly turned into an exposé of something sinister.

Fully-loaded gear

Kuya recalled his first day on the job. Assigned by an agency, he had no idea who his new boss was going to be. “Unang araw ko bilang driver, hindi ko alam kung sino ang boss ko,” he recalls. “Nagulat na lang ako nang may dumating na isang tao na may kasamang apat na bodyguard. ’Yun pala ang boss ko, isang congressman.”

Kuya was even more shocked when he entered their homes’ garage with seemingly never-ending cars: six Innovas, six Super Grandias, two Ford Rangers, two Ford Everests, two Land Cruisers, two Range Rovers, two Alphards, two Jaguar sports cars, two GMC Savana vans, one Navara pickup, a Ford Transit, a Cadillac Escalade, a Lexus LX, and a Benz van. Mind you, this was pre-pandemic, so the cars have likely increased and evolved at this point. I’m speculating that a few more Land Cruisers have rolled onto the scene.

On his very first day, our driver was handed his own work phone. There were more than a dozen drivers, and each one of them had their own work phone, too. One of the congressman’s many secretaries also gave him a wad of cash to buy his own shoes and uniform in SM Megamall.

The congressman rented multiple houses. Renting, as we have recently discovered from the news, is the best way to reduce money trails, as opposed to buying property. In one exclusive village alone, this congressman had three separate houses: one for the bodyguards and drivers, one for the maids, and one for the congressman and his family.

Private planes, helicopters, and resorts

My driver had flown on the congressman’s private plane (he isn’t sure, though, if owned or chartered) three times and once on his helicopter. He told me the bodyguards would make fun of him because every time, Kuya got nauseous with nervousness and would fall asleep as soon as they took off. He never actually saw the views from the window.

I thought about the one time I rode a chartered plane, how proud and boastful I had been of the experience before I knew he had been a regular on private planes. No wonder my driver was totally unimpressed. I joked, “Ah, kaya ka pala deadma lang!” It made sense, though, as he knew exactly where the hangar was to pick us up.

On another trip in Cebu, the congressman casually handed Kuya and another driver P70,000 to split, telling them to go and enjoy their free day. With P35,000 each, about a month’s salary for many office workers, they were instructed to spend it all before returning.

Then there was the resort. He arrived at what he thought was just another stop. A bodyguard turned to him and said, “Pili ka na lang ng kwarto mo diyan.” Only then did he realize, “Congressman pala may ari ng resort na tinuluyan namin.”

Boxes of Rolex and ambulance deliveries

During Christmas, Kuya recalled that they would load up an ambulance to beat the traffic while delivering gifts. Not with patients, but with baskets of gifts for friends or other congressmen across Metro Manila. Grand baskets overflowing with food, imported goods, and expensive treats.

At that time, he said that it didn’t strike him as bad. Only in hindsight did Kuya realize it was a little messed up.

One assignment stood out for him: delivering a paper bag with four Rolex boxes, dropped off at the backdoor of Bahay Pangulo in Malacañang. “Isang beses naghatid kami ng mga regalo para sa mga PSG at may binigay din sa loob ng Malacañang ng mga Rolex na relo… Madalas din kami mag-deliver ng mga regalo sa iba’t ibang congressman, minsan pa nga ginagamit namin pang-deliver ambulance para mas mabilis mahatid ang mga regalo,” he recalls.

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Leaving the convoy

At some point, my driver left. It wasn’t unusual, as turnover was constant. Kuya recounted that the congressman was so used to the change in drivers, he would always sit in the front seat and direct each driver (even if they had been around for a while), street by street, to his house.

Drivers came and went, all interchangeable in his eyes. Among the dozen or so in rotation, there was always a head honcho in place, the boss driver you had to flatter to get the easier trips.

My driver isn’t like that, at all. He doesn’t have a drop of brash bravado or machismo you’d imagine in a government driver. It was actually to his favor, as he had become the favorite of the congressman’s wife in only a few months. This made him something of a target for the other jealous drivers and bodyguards.

Aside from being bullied by his peers, he was also worn down by the general election season in 2019. He recounts endless marathons of seven- to 12-hour drives, four hours of sleep, and then having to be back on the road. He had enough. I think his wife had too, as she missed him at home.

I asked my driver about the congressman, “Mabuti ba siyang tao?” to which he replied, “Hindi mo talaga masasabing mabuti siyang tao o hindi. Ang dami kasing staff at halos hindi ka nakaka-interact sa kanya, kahit isang taon akong nagtrabaho para sa kanya.”