Trillanes to file plunder raps vs Teo, Tulfo brothers
Published Jul 30, 2018 08:18 am
By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will file plunder charges against former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and her brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo, over the controversial P60-million advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and state-run television network PTV-4.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) "I intend to file a plunder case against the Tulfo siblings in relation to the P60-M DOT ad controversy," Trillanes said in a statement Monday. Trillanes made the announcement following Ben Tulfo's refusal to return the said amount to the government, even challenging their detractors to sue them. "Sa mga nagsasabing isauli ang pera at hinihintay daw ang P60 million, mamuti na mga mata niyo! Wala kaming isasauli! Sa mga nagsasabing ilegal at nangulimbat kami, eh di sampahan niyo kami ng kaso, tutal nandiyan naman ang COA (Commission on Audit) at Ombudsman!" Tulfo posted on Facebook last Thursday. Tulfo insisted that there was no conflict of interest over the deal as he maintained that their media outfit, Bitag Media Unlimited, which produces the block-timer where the DOT's advertisements were placed, had delivered what was agreed in the contract. "Anong isasauli? Maniningil pa nga kami dahil may utang pa sa amin ang principal na PTV-4 doon sa kanilang kliyente, ang DOT," Tulfo added. Trillanes said his camp is now preparing the plunder charge against Teo and the Tulfos. He said he would file it before the Office of the Ombudsman "within the next few weeks." Meanwhile, Trillanes urged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon to start the probe. "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. Last May, Trillanes filed a resolution calling on the Senate Committee on Tourism to investigate the DOT ad controversy. The measure, however, was later referred to the Blue Ribbon panel. Sen. Nancy Binay, chair of the tourism committee, also filed a similar measure. "'Pag hindi ka nag-iimbestiga, pinagtatakpan mo. Otherwise, ipasa mo na lang sa ibang committee na willing na mag-investigate," Trillanes said. Trillanes said he will ask Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to refer the measure to other committees should Gordon remain cold to his resolution. Teo stepped down as DOT secretary amid the controversy involving her brothers. It was her lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, who said that the Tulfo siblings would return the P60 million.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV(Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN) "I intend to file a plunder case against the Tulfo siblings in relation to the P60-M DOT ad controversy," Trillanes said in a statement Monday. Trillanes made the announcement following Ben Tulfo's refusal to return the said amount to the government, even challenging their detractors to sue them. "Sa mga nagsasabing isauli ang pera at hinihintay daw ang P60 million, mamuti na mga mata niyo! Wala kaming isasauli! Sa mga nagsasabing ilegal at nangulimbat kami, eh di sampahan niyo kami ng kaso, tutal nandiyan naman ang COA (Commission on Audit) at Ombudsman!" Tulfo posted on Facebook last Thursday. Tulfo insisted that there was no conflict of interest over the deal as he maintained that their media outfit, Bitag Media Unlimited, which produces the block-timer where the DOT's advertisements were placed, had delivered what was agreed in the contract. "Anong isasauli? Maniningil pa nga kami dahil may utang pa sa amin ang principal na PTV-4 doon sa kanilang kliyente, ang DOT," Tulfo added. Trillanes said his camp is now preparing the plunder charge against Teo and the Tulfos. He said he would file it before the Office of the Ombudsman "within the next few weeks." Meanwhile, Trillanes urged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon to start the probe. "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. Last May, Trillanes filed a resolution calling on the Senate Committee on Tourism to investigate the DOT ad controversy. The measure, however, was later referred to the Blue Ribbon panel. Sen. Nancy Binay, chair of the tourism committee, also filed a similar measure. "'Pag hindi ka nag-iimbestiga, pinagtatakpan mo. Otherwise, ipasa mo na lang sa ibang committee na willing na mag-investigate," Trillanes said. Trillanes said he will ask Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to refer the measure to other committees should Gordon remain cold to his resolution. Teo stepped down as DOT secretary amid the controversy involving her brothers. It was her lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, who said that the Tulfo siblings would return the P60 million.