Judge issues arrest orders vs Tulfos over Mike A. libel case

A Quezon City judge on Friday ordered the arrest of two of the three controversial Tulfo brothers sued for libel by First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo, on the same day that the Quezon City prosecutor’s office recommended the filing of charges. QC Regional Trial Court Branch 83 Presiding Judge Ralph Lee issued the order against Ramon and Raffy Tulfo after the case was raffled to his sala. Erwin Tulfo immediately posted a P10,000 bail bond. Ramon Tulfo told GMANews.TV that the arrest warrant was planned because it was issued on a Friday, preventing him from posting bail. He said he had just arrived from Bangkok, Thailand on Friday afternoon. Lee said that if Ramon and Raffy Tulfo do not post bail 10 days after the issuance of the arrest warrants, he would set Erwin's arraignment while the arrest order against the other two would remain in effect. Assistant City Prosecutor Juan Rodulfo on Friday recommended the filing of libel charges against the controversial Tulfo brothers for accusing Arroyo of being behind the cancellation of their program “Isumbong Mo (Tulfo Brothers)", which aired over the government-sequestered television station RPN Channel 9. “The statements made in that pres conference cannot be considered as privileged, hence, impelled only by one criminal intent in publishing it, the three respondents can be properly clamped with the crime of libel," Rodulfo said in a seven-page resolution. Arroyo filed the libel case after the Tulfo brothers held a press conference on Aug. 2, 2006 at a Quezon City restaurant where they supposedly accused him of pressuring RPN-9 management to cancel their program. The President's husband also complained that the Tulfo brothers alleged that he had an illicit relationship with Vicky Toh and that he was a protector of alleged smuggling activities of Toh’s brother Tomas. In his counter-affidavit, Ramon Tulfo said that he did not name Arroyo during the press conference, or described him so as to leave no doubt that it was it was the President’s husband, referring to him only as “Mr. Big". Ramon added that the statements they made during the conference were fair commentaries and opinion on a matter of public interest. Erwin and Raffy, for their part, said that as journalists, they have the duty to inform the public of attempts by those in power to muzzle the press, especially those critical of the government. -GMANews.TV