Ben Tulfo not off the hook in P60-M DoT ad issue — Roque

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (left) said Ben Tulfo (right) could face legal action after the latter took back an earlier promise to return P60 million paid to his media outfit for airing ads of the Department of Tourism. INQUIRER FILES

With television host Ben Tulfo’s refusal to return the P60 million earned from tourism ads, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Monday that the brother of former Tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo would have to face legal action for it.

Tulfo is insisting that the money was paid by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for services rendered by his TV outfit Bitag Media Unlimited.

Subsequently, the presidential spokesman said that the legal process would have run its course on the controversy.

“(Para) sa akin nakakalungkot iyan, dahil yung pangakong ibabalik ay galing kay Ben at kay Wanda Tulfo,” Roque said over dzRH Monday morning.

“Kung sila ay hindi susunod sa sarili nilang deklarasyon, okay lang iyon. Meron namang proseso at narinig ko ang Presidente na nagsabi na dapat umusad ang legal na proseso para mapanagot ang dapat mapanagot diyan sa mga anomalya sa DoT,” he stressed.

Asked if Tulfo would be off the hook, Roque said: “Hindi (off the hook). In fact, ang Presidente na ang nagdeklara. Hayaan nating umusad ang legal na proseso laban sa kanila.”

The Commission on Audit earlier flagged the DOT’s P60 million payment to Bitag Media under Teo’s watch as a possible conflict of interest in violation of the anti-graft law.

Teo and Tulfo are siblings. /cbb