MANILA, Philippines (May 8) — President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly fired Tourism Secretary Wan Tulfo Teo late Monday night just after the Cabinet meeting and asked her to submit resignation amidst a controversial deal of P60M paid ad on the show of her brother, Ben Tulfo aired at the Philippine Television Network Inc.
But a DoT Undersecretary told Newsline.ph early Tuesday morning, May 8 that they are still trying to reach out to Teo. “I don’t know what’s the real status. We are trying to reach out to her now, we really don’t know.
Teo’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio in an interview with DZMM Tuesday morning, however, denied that Teo was fired or asked to resign “Nakausap ko po Si Secretary Wanda kaninang 5:30 a.m. at bagamat nag-usap sila ni Pangulo ay wala namang demand mula sa Pangulo na siya ay mag-resign.”
Teo and her bothers figured in the P60-million advertisement contract which the Department of Tourism (DOT) entered with the government’s PTV network. The advertisement was aired over her brother’s program “Bitag”
In its report posted online last April 27, the COA stated that PTV-4 made the following payments last year to BMUI: P22,089,560 on May 11; P18.96 million on Nov. 8; and P18.96 million on Dec. 15.
On Monday, Tulfo’s media outfit, Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. announced that it would return the P60million it received for the airing of the advertisement.
Ben Tulfo yesterday said that the family decided to return the P60M advertisement contract to save their family from shame and to show that they are not corrupt.
“Napag-usapan ng pamilya na isauli yong pera, kahit na-air na ang advertisement para ipakita na hindi kami mukhang pera, hindi kami corrupt” he told DZMM in an interview.
Teo’s husband, Roberto, who was previously appointed by the Aquino administration as board of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) also give up his post after being dragged into the controversy. He was appointed as a board member of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
The Newsline tried to get the side of Mr. Teo but as of this posting he did not issue any statement, no answered the call.
In a gathering with educators in Davao City last Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte has asked corrupt government officials and personnel to “have the sense to resign” or risk being humiliated in public.
Duterte vied in the 2016 presidential race with anti-corruption and anti-drug abuse as his campaign promise. ”If you are into corruption, just leave. I will give you time. For those who are into it now in government, published or otherwise, may you have the sense to just tender your resignation.”-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
