Trillanes mulls plunder raps vs Tulfo siblings

SEN. Antonio Trillanes 4th is considering filing plunder charges against the Tulfo siblings for their alleged refusal to return the P60 million paid to them by the government for airing tourism promotion projects in their television program.

The senator’s statement stemmed from Ben Tulfo’s announcement that he would not return the money, no matter what happens.

On April 27, the Commission on Audit (CoA) released its 2017 report, which showed that the Department of Tourism (DoT) paid P60.009 million to Bitag Media Unlimited, Inc. (BMUI) for the airing of DoT’s tourism promotion ads on its television program, “Kilos Pronto,” which Ben and Erwin Tulfo host and shown on the state-run People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI).

The payment was made under the term of Ben Tulfo’s sister, then tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

Teo resigned from her post after the CoA released its report although she maintained that there was no conflict of interest in the contract she approved between her brothers and the DoT.

In a Facebook post on July 26, Ben Tulfo said, “Anong isasauli? Maningil pa nga kami dahil may utang pa sa amin ang principal na PTV-4 doon sa kanilang kliyente, ang DoT [What money to return are they talking about? In fact, we still have to claim some payments because the principal, PTV-4 still owes us].”

“Sa mga nagsasabing isauli ang pera at hinihintay daw ang P60 million, mamuti na mga mata n’yo! Wala kaming isasauli! Sa mga nagsabing ilegal at nangulimbat kami, eh di sampahan n’yo kami ng kaso, tutal nandiyan naman ang CoA [For those who were demanding us to return the money because they were expecting the P60 million, you have to wait for forever. We have nothing to return. To those who said that we committed some illegal acts and stole money, well, why don’t you file charges? Anyway, there’s the CoA],” Tulfo said.

In reaction to Tulfo’s remarks, Trillanes said, “I intend to file a plunder case against the Tulfo siblings in relation to the P60 million DoT advertising controversy.”

“I also call on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to act on my resolution calling for an inquiry into the matter so we could determine the magnitude of corruption, specifically, how much more of the people’s money was squandered by the previous DoT leadership,” he said.

Trillanes on May 18 filed Senate Resolution 726, urging the Senate Committee on Tourism to investigate the “anomalous P60 million advertisement placement made by the DoT with BMUI.”

“There is an immediate need to look into the irregularities in the disposition of DoT’s budget and its expenditures in advertising and marketing in order to ensure that government funds are legally and properly allocated, directed and spent towards the sole purpose for which the funds were allocated,” he said.

Sen. Nancy Binay on May 7 filed Resolution 721 directing the proper Senate committees to conduct an inquiry on advertising placements by the DoT with television networks and media agencies.

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima on May 22 also filed a resolution directing the proper committee to conduct an inquiry into alleged “irregular transactions and wasteful spending of the DoT during the term of Wanda Tulfo-Teo.” BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

 

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