Ombudsman investigating P60-M DOT ads on PTV, Bitag

The Office of the Ombudsman is already investigating the P60 million worth of advertisements that the Department of Tourism had placed with state-run PTV and aired over a public service program produced by Bitag Media Unlimited.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales made the announcement after Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo resigned amid the controversy brought about by the Commission on Audit's flagging of the multi-million-peso ad buy.

Ben Tulfo of Bitag is a brother of Teo.

"Yes, we’ve already done that. We have initiated an investigation. we have docketed a fact-finding number," Morales told reporters when asked if the Ombudsman had started a motu propio investigation of the COA findings as regards the ad deal.

A motu propio investigation is a probe launched by the Ombudsman on its own initiative.

Morales further said her office has requested the office of COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo for copies of the audit report on PTV.

"We have written to the COA chair, requesting that we be furnished of its audit reports. From there we can move on and see if there is a need to conclude the investigation for fact-finding and if there is necessity, then we will subject it for preliminary investigation," Morales said.

The COA had flagged PTV for the P60-million payment made to Ben Tulfo and his show Kilos Pronto for the airing of DOT advertisements. Kilos Pronto is a program of blocktimer Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMU) in PTV.

The COA said PTNI's payments to BMU, representing segment buy and spot placement in airing the DOT's commercial advertisements "were not supported with proper documents such as the Memorandum of Agreement and Certificate of Performance contrary to Section 4 of Presidential Decree 1445 and COA Circular No. 2012-001."

State auditors that a review of the MOA between DOT and PTNI showed that there was no provisions requiring PTNI to remit to Blocktimer BMUI collections from DOT for the segments/spots aired within the program, “Kilos Pronto"

Teo had denied of having knowledge in PTV's decision to place the DOT's advertisements on her brother's program and said that the project went through a bidding process and was reviewed by her department's legal department.

The issue, however, sparked calls for Teo to resign for alleged conflict of interest.

Her resignation was announced on Tuesday afternoon by her lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who said Teo submitted her resignation letter "before the start of the latest Cabinet meeting in Malacañang Palace" on Monday evening.

"Her letter was personally handed by her to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in the afternoon," Topacio said. "Late in the evening, after the Cabinet meeting was when she saw the President to talk to him in private."

"Her decision to leave her position was made after a long and deliberate reflection and soul-searching with respect to the events that have transpired the past few weeks," he added.

Teo and her brothers have decided to return the P60-million payment, according to Topacio.

Presidental spokesperson Harry Roque has confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the resignation of Teo. —NB, GMA News