ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Contributed photo)

House Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo confirmed on Monday, Aug. 12 that he had been approached by Major General Romeo Caramat, who supposedly admitted that he was an "aspiring Philippine National Police (PNP) chief". 

In sharing this detail, Tulfo was airing his side to a claim by Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa that the House leadership tried to pressure police officials into implicating him and former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).  

Last week, Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, bared that he and Tulfo had earlier met with Caramat. 

However, Co stresssed that Dela Rosa's allegation of coercion was just that--an allegation. 

"Kasi nga nung nagko-cover pa ako sa [Camp] Crame, namin-meet ko si General Caramat, he was just a major or captain back then. So sabi niya (Caramat), 'Boss baka pwedeng tulungan mo ako, I'm aspiring to become Chief PNP,'" recalled Tulfo, a popular broadcast journalist. 

(I used to meet General Caramat when I covered Camp Crame, he was just a major or captain back then. So he said, 'Boss maybe you can help me, I'm aspiring to become Chief PNP.) 

This request from Caramat eventually reached Co, who according to Tulfo gave a straight, negative answer to the Northern Luzon police commander. 

"So outright sinabi ni Cong Zaldy, 'I cannot help you.' Nagpatulong kasi wala rin siyang connect. So yun lang alam ko na nangyari na sinabi ni Cong Zaldy, 'Hindi (No)."' 

(Cong Zaldy said outright, 'I cannot help you.' He had no connections, that's why he sought help. So that's all I know, Cong Zaldy told him, 'No.') 

Co earlier said that he "met General Caramat twice. First, in 2023 when he was introduced to me by Congressman Erwin Tulfo". 

"At that time, he (Gen. Caramat) was asking for my endorsement to be Chief PNP. The second time I met him was in the townhouse of Speaker Martin Romualdez a few months ago. When I arrived, Gen. Caramat was already there. From the conversation, I heard that he (Gen. Caramat) was willing to tell everything he knows about EJKs (extrajudicial killings) in exchange for his appointment as Chief PNP. This was flatly rejected by Speaker Romualdez," narrated the Ako Bicol Party-list lawmaker. 

Tulfo explained that it's not within the power of the Speaker appoint the head of PNP. 

"Number one, common sense will dictate or will say, ang Speaker hindi namimili ng chief of PNP, ang Pangulo po. Kahit nasabihin pa ng Speaker ito ang gusto kong Chief PNP, ang Presidente ang namimili. So, useless," he said.  

(It's the President, not the Speaker, who will choose the chief of PNP. Even if the Speaker bares his preferred Chief PNP, it's the President who will choose.)