Mon Tulfo says Andanar manipulated controversial P60-M DOT-PTV deal

Special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said on Monday that Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar manipulated the controversial deal between the Tourism department and People’s Television (PTV-4).

“Ben (Tulfo's brother) and Andanar manipulated it. Andanar manipulated the whole thing,” he said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Since May last year, the Office of the Ombudsman has been investigating the P60 million worth of advertisements that the Department of Tourism (DOT) had placed with state-run PTV-4 and aired over a public service program produced by Bitag Media Unlimited. 

The Commission on Audit 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.

Ben and Mon’s sister, then DOT secretary Wanda Teo had denied knowledge in PTV's decision to place the DOT's advertisements on her brother's program.

She said that the project went through a bidding process and was reviewed by the DOT's legal department. —Joviland Rita/LDF, GMA News