Erwin Tulfo threatens arrest for senators in 'fake' Blue Ribbon Committee hearings

Sen. Erwin Tulfo on Friday said that he will order the arrest of senators who will hold a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee other than the one he would preside over as chairman.

In an interview, Tulfo said he is the legitimate chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and has the sole authority to call for a legislative inquiry under the panel.

Tulfo said this after the bloc led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano held a Blue Ribbon hearing on Thursday, chaired by Sen. Pia Cayetano and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.

The hearing saw the 18 ex-Marines, who allegedly worked for former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, and who said they delivered suitcases of cash to politicians

"Kung sila, uulitin po nilang mag-hearing; subukan po nila. Lalo na po yung Blue Ribbon, subukan. Subukan po ninyo, mag-hearing po kayo ng Blue Ribbon, kasi po hindi na po ako papayag na maghi-hearing-hearingan kayo diyan at I will have you arrested. I promise," Tulfo said.

"Kahit na senador ka, kahit na sinasabi mong matanda ka na, ilang taon ka na sa Senado, try me. Magpa-hearing ka ng Blue Ribbon ulit," he added.

"I don't care kung dati kang Senate President, dati kang Speaker of the House...talagang papahuli kita. Kung hindi papahuli, kung ayaw ng OSAA, bibitbitin kita, kukwelyuhan kita, palalayasin kita diyan sa floor na 'yan," Tulfo said.

"Because I am the legitimate Blue Ribbon Chairman at yung ginagawa niyong kalokohan," he added.

(Let them try to repeat holding a hearing, especially that of the Blue Ribbon Committee. I will no longer allow a fake hearing, and I will have you arrested. I promise. I don't care if you are a veteran senator, try me. Hold another Blue Ribbon hearing. I don't care if you are a former Senate President or House Speaker; I would have you arrested. If the OSAA does not do it, I will throw you out of the room. Because I am the legitimate Blue Ribbon Chairman and what they are doing is a mockery of the chamber.)

GMA News Online has sought comment from the Cayetano-led camp and will publish it as soon as it is available.

Tulfo belongs to the Senate bloc led by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who was elected Senate President Pro Tempore and made acting Senate President by 12 senators on Wednesday after the Cayetano-led bloc skipped sessions on Monday and Tuesday after the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday.

Alan Peter Cayetano said they skipped the sessions to prevent the other camp of senators from wresting control of the Blue Ribbon hearings. He called Gatchalian a fake acting Senate President, saying the other bloc didn't have the needed 13 senators to effect a leadership change.

Gatchalian, when he presided over the session on Wednesday, cited the Supreme Court ruling in the 1949 case of Avelino v. Cuenco, in which the High Tribunal upheld a quorum of 12.

Tulfo said the Cayetano-led hearing was a "blatant disregard of the instruction of the order of the acting Senate President" and a violation of the Senate rules.

"Kaya nga po puwedeng kasuhan niyo ng ethics kung sino ang magrereklamo diyan, yung mga nag-hearing-hearing-an kahapon," Tulfo added.

(That's why we can file an ethics complaint against those who participated in the hearing yesterday.)

Sen. Vicente Sotto III, a member of the Gatchalian-led bloc, and Tulfo were among those who were mentioned by the former Marines as among those who received cash deliveries they made.

Sotto and Tulfo denied the allegations, with Sotto saying that his aide mentioned by the ex-soldiers died in 2015.

Tulfo on Friday said he is preparing to file libel charges against supposed former Marines who accused him and several other lawmakers of receiving suitcases with money, adding the allegations are politically motivated.

"Libel po ang definitely ikakaso natin, sagutin po nila ‘yan kasi...madali na lang kasi ngayon...na magturo nang magturo, kahit ito puwedeng ituro eh," Tulfo said in an interview with Balitanghali.

(We will definitely file libel charges. They need to answer that. It is easy to accuse anyone.)

"Ang problema diyan, is it backed up by evidence? Sa ebidensya lang po tayo...Kaya nga po siguro ‘pag nagse-settle na po ang lahat ng ito, kailangan po siguro palakasin itong mga penalty po sa mga ganitong mga kaso, mga problema kasi parang wala pong pangil eh kaya kahit sino-sino na lang damuhong puwedeng magsalita po diyan," he added.

(The problem is do they have evidence? We should be evidence-based. That's why after we settle this, we may need to increase the penalties for these cases. The problem is the law has no teeth so anyone can just speak against anyone.)

In an interview earlier in the day, Tulfo told GMA News’ Unang Balita that he was not offended by the accusations and instead found the claims amusing.

“Nakakatuwa po, pinapanood ko po sila kahapon. Ako po ay natutuwa, hindi po ako naiinis. Kapag may mga kinukwento, lalo mga marites, mga gawa-gawang istorya, matatawa ka na lang,” he said.

(It’s funny, I watched them yesterday. I’m amused, I'm not annoyed. When people tell stories, especially the marites, made-up stories, you just laugh.)

“Pero siyempre 'di naman tayo papayag na ganun-ganun na lamang. Tayo ay naghahanda na ngayon para sampahan ng kaso yung nag-akusa sa atin,” he added.

(But of course we won’t let it slide. We are now preparing to file a case against those who accused us.)

Tulfo said he wants his accusers to present evidence before the proper forum and challenged them to bring their allegations before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Tulfo rejected the legitimacy of the proceeding and described it as a "sham hearing."

For him, the June 4 event at the upper chamber was merely a meeting, forum, or press conference and not an official Senate Blue Ribbon hearing.

He noted that the gathering was not recorded in the Senate journal, had no official Blue Ribbon Committee staff present, and was not documented through the committee's regular processes.

Tulfo, as the Blue Ribbon chairperson under Gatchalian’s leadership, set the hearing on June 8, in which the supposed ex-Marines are also invited.

He said the committee would not allow surprise witnesses and would subject all witnesses to a vetting process in accordance with committee rules.

Asked about the possible motive behind the allegations, Tulfo pointed to politics.

Tulfo said that Senators Loren Legarda and Mark Villar, who are part of Alan Peter Cayetano’s bloc, were initially named in earlier allegations but were no longer being mentioned in the June 4 event.

He claimed that he and other senators were being targeted because they were viewed as political threats by a certain group.

“Tungkol po sa survey. Ito na po 'yon. Tinitingnan po nila na tayo ay tatakbo bilang bise o presidente kaming magkapatid kaya katakot-takot po na banat. Isang grupo lang naman po 'yan, 'yung grupo lang po nila ang tumitira,” he said.

(It was about the survey. That's it. They're looking at the Tulfo brothers running for vice president or president, so we are being attacked. There is just one group that is attacking us.) –Sundy Locus/NB, GMA News