Teo ‘unaware’ brothers behind P60-M tourism ad contract, hosts of TV program
FORMER Tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo on Tuesday admitted that she was “not aware” that her brothers were behind the company that negotiated a P60-million tourism ad contract with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and that they were the hosts of the program where the ad appeared on state-run PTV-4.
Teo made the admission before the Senate blue ribbon committee that was investigating the alleged anomalous deal between the government and the Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI), which produces “Kilos Pronto” hosted by Ben and Erwin Tulfo.
The entire advertising deal was P120 million, which was supposed to be paid in four tranches to BMUI. The Commission on Audit (CoA) said the Department of Tourism (DOT) released P114 million, P89 million of which went to Kilos Pronto while the rest served as PTV-4 earnings.
Asked by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th whether she was aware that under the Constitution, she was prohibited from entering into any business deals with her brothers because of conflict of interest, Teo said, “They did not tell me. I didn’t know. If I knew it I would not have signed the contract.”
Trillanes warned that the Tulfos, including Teo, face plunder charges for their alleged involvement in the anomaly.
In a prepared statement, Teo said that during her watch, the DOT implemented projects within the bounds of the law. “Specifically I maintained the DOT ad placement with PTV-4 have gone through proper channels.”
“To set the record straight this was what happened. On Jan. 16, 2017 Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar wrote me a letter asking to partner with DOT to market tourism thru the PTV-4 network. This is in line with the request of Chief Executive (President Rodrigo Duterte) to support the government station,” Teo said.
On Feb. 6, 2017, PTV programming group head, Ramon del Rosario, according to Dino Antonio Apolonio, president and general manager of PTV-4, proposed to DOT to formalize the partnership. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between Teo and Apolonio on March 15, 2017. A copy of the MOA was received by DOT-COA on April 20.
“Hence, with confidence we can say there was nothing illegal in the said contract. It is a government to government contract within the executive department. And the payments were paid directly to PTV 4,” Teo said. BERNADETTE TAMAYO
The post Teo ‘unaware’ brothers behind P60-M tourism ad contract, hosts of TV program appeared first on The Manila Times Online.