Tulfo siblings attend Senate probe, insist P60-M ad deal above board

Former Tourism secretary Wanda Teo and her brothers insisted before senators on Tuesday that the P60-million advertisement deal between the  Department of Tourism and PTV 4 was above board.

"I wanted to clear my name, I have been  defamed, maligned, and crucified because of the allegations all made up to look as true," Teo said in her opening statement at the start of the blue ribbon committee probe on the ad deal.

"The activities have been conducted and implemented within the bounds of law. The DOT placement has gone to proper channels."

She narrated that in January 2017, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) head Martin Andanar wrote her a letter asking her to have the DOT partner with PCOO. She mentioned that there was a contract and memorandum of agreement to formalize the partnership.

"With confidence I can say there is nothing illegal with the contract," she said. "It is a government-to-government contract within the executive department, all the payments were made to PTV 4."

Her brother, Ben Tulfo of Bitag Media Unlimited Inc., also said he attended the Senate hearing to clear not just his name but the names of his siblings who have nothing to do with the contract.

"Pumunta ako dito para linisin ang pangalan namin, nadawit ang pangalan ng kapatid ko," he said.

"Si Erwin nadamay eh walang kinalaman sa aming operations. Kung may kasalanan siya ay ang pagiging mabait na talent na umupo sa Kilos Pronto. Itong mga kapatid ko hindi nagsasalita pero masama ang loob," Tulfo added.

Tulfo was called out by blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon for talking directly with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, whom Gordon said had accused them of being thieves.

Gordon said Tulfo or other resource persons should only address the chairman of the committee.

Tulfo continued his opening speech and said that they have the contract and the certificate of performance as well as the taped program to show that they were able to fulfill their obligation on the contract.

Erwin Tulfo, for his part, said he is not part of Bitag Media Unlimited and is only a talent.

“Time and time again I am saying that I’m not, was not, a producer of Bitag pero pinipilit ng ilang media entity na I’m part of Bitag," he said.

"These are the same media na galit sa  administrasyon. Pinalalabas na may sabwatan kaming magkakapatid." —KBK, GMA News