Palace: Expect PRRD to make right decision on Teo issue
Published May 5, 2018 01:47 pm
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Malacañang said that the people can expect that President Duterte will do the right thing on the issue of the controversial P60-million advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and state-run television network PTV-4.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned how P60 million worth of DOT ad placements went into the show of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo's brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo aired over the state-run TV network.
Roque, in a press briefing in Davao City, said that while investigation on the matter is still ongoing, the public can expect that President Duterte will act on it.
"When there are controversies, he will investigate and he will make decisions, painful as they may be. The people can trust the President that he will do the right thing," he said Saturday.
"Investigations will eventually lead to decisions," he added.
According to Roque, documents related to the issue are now with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and he expects him to make a recommendation.
"Pinag-aaralan po 'yan ni Executive Secretary. Mabilis namang gumalaw ang mga tao sa Palasyo (Executive Secretary Medialdea is now looking into it. People in the Palace work fast). I can assure you that," he said.
"Ang imbestigasyon po (The investigation) is being conducted by the Executive Secretary so the Executive Secretary will probably submit his recommendations to the President," he added.
On Thursday, Roque said that the probe ordered by Duterte will push through even if the Tulfos are known big supporters of the Chief Executive.
"The President has had to deal with the closest of his allies. The President lets them go if it's proven that they are involved in graft and corruption. That's the President's track record, do I need to enumerate it one by one? Antayin lang natin ang gagawin ng ating Presidente (Let's just wait for the President's action)," he said.
Two Teos in TIEZA
But only a few days after the the issue on the Tulfos surfaced, another family connection has raised questions about the Teo's family.
In an interview over DZMM, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas said Roberto Teo, the Tourism Secretary's husband, is still a board member of TIEZA.
Paragas said that the Teo patriarch holds a position in the board in a holdover status. The male Teo is said to represent the the travel and tours section since 2014.
However, the TIEZA official website shows that Teo heads the agency's audit committee and is part of all other committees.
When asked if having two Teos in TIEZA constitutes conflict of interest, Roque said that he will first have to check if Roberto Teo is still indeed with TIEZA.
The Palace official also said that he leaves the matter of whether Teo should resign to the Tourism Secretary.
"Delicadeza is addressed to the public officers concerned. And if we are talking about delicadeza it's not for me to answer that question. It's for Secretary Teo to answer that," Roque said.
However in an earlier interview over DZMM, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go said that by principle, nobody should hold a position in an agency that is under their spouse.
"Kung ako tatanungin niyo po, siyempre may delicadeza dun, dapat wala ka dun sa ahensiya na under sa asawa mo, di ba ?(If you ask me, out of delicadeza, you shouldn't be in an agency under your wife's department, right)?" Go said.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned how P60 million worth of DOT ad placements went into the show of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo's brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo aired over the state-run TV network.
Roque, in a press briefing in Davao City, said that while investigation on the matter is still ongoing, the public can expect that President Duterte will act on it.
"When there are controversies, he will investigate and he will make decisions, painful as they may be. The people can trust the President that he will do the right thing," he said Saturday.
"Investigations will eventually lead to decisions," he added.
According to Roque, documents related to the issue are now with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and he expects him to make a recommendation.
"Pinag-aaralan po 'yan ni Executive Secretary. Mabilis namang gumalaw ang mga tao sa Palasyo (Executive Secretary Medialdea is now looking into it. People in the Palace work fast). I can assure you that," he said.
"Ang imbestigasyon po (The investigation) is being conducted by the Executive Secretary so the Executive Secretary will probably submit his recommendations to the President," he added.
On Thursday, Roque said that the probe ordered by Duterte will push through even if the Tulfos are known big supporters of the Chief Executive.
"The President has had to deal with the closest of his allies. The President lets them go if it's proven that they are involved in graft and corruption. That's the President's track record, do I need to enumerate it one by one? Antayin lang natin ang gagawin ng ating Presidente (Let's just wait for the President's action)," he said.
Two Teos in TIEZA
But only a few days after the the issue on the Tulfos surfaced, another family connection has raised questions about the Teo's family.
In an interview over DZMM, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas said Roberto Teo, the Tourism Secretary's husband, is still a board member of TIEZA.
Paragas said that the Teo patriarch holds a position in the board in a holdover status. The male Teo is said to represent the the travel and tours section since 2014.
However, the TIEZA official website shows that Teo heads the agency's audit committee and is part of all other committees.
When asked if having two Teos in TIEZA constitutes conflict of interest, Roque said that he will first have to check if Roberto Teo is still indeed with TIEZA.
The Palace official also said that he leaves the matter of whether Teo should resign to the Tourism Secretary.
"Delicadeza is addressed to the public officers concerned. And if we are talking about delicadeza it's not for me to answer that question. It's for Secretary Teo to answer that," Roque said.
However in an earlier interview over DZMM, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go said that by principle, nobody should hold a position in an agency that is under their spouse.
"Kung ako tatanungin niyo po, siyempre may delicadeza dun, dapat wala ka dun sa ahensiya na under sa asawa mo, di ba ?(If you ask me, out of delicadeza, you shouldn't be in an agency under your wife's department, right)?" Go said.