Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial aspirant and media personality Raffy Tulfo on Monday said former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should not be blamed for the wrongdoings of his father.
“Para sa akin kasi, kasalanan nung tatay bakit maging kasalanan ng anak? (For me, it’s the sin of the father, why would it become the sin of the child?) Why would he apologize for something that he did not do, na ang may kagagawan ay tatay niya?” Tulfo said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
“Para sa akin, opinyon ko yan (That’s my opinion),” he added.
In the case of the Marcoses’ alleged ill-gotten wealth, Tulfo said that the issue should be left in the hands of the courts.
“Meron na kasing mga court decision tungkol diyan, so kung meron nang court decision, pabayaan natin yung korte na i-implement yan. Kung ano pang mga kasong pending, then so be it,” he said.
(There are court decisions about that already, if there is already a decision by the court, then we will let the court implement it. For the cases that are still pending, then so be it.)
Tulfo was asked to comment on the call of presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao for the Marcos family to return their ill-gotten wealth and apologize for abuses during the Marcos regime.
“May kanya kanya tayong opinyon. This time hindi magkatugma ang opinyon namin ni Sen. Manny Pacquiao although guest candidate niya ko,” Tulfo said.
(We have different opinions. In this issue, I don’t agree with Sen. Pacquiao, although I am a guest candidate in his Senate slate.)
Tulfo then drew a parallel between his and Marcos Jr.’s situation.
“Bakit yung kasalanan ng isang kamag-anak, ipinapasa sa isang kamag-anak, because I myself have been a victim of that,” he said.
(Why is the sin of a relative passed on to another relative? Because I myself have been a victim of that.)
He was referring to the P120-million advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the state-run People’s Television Network (PTV 4), involving his siblings, former DOT Secretary Wanda Teo and Ben Tulfo.
Recently, the Office of the Office of the Ombudsman cleared Teo, Tulfo and others involved in the deal of graft.
“Just because nagkaroon ng issue yung mga kapatid ko na kaapelyido ko, pati ako nadadamay. Dapat hindi ganun tayo magisip mga Pilipino,” the senatorial aspirant said.
(Just because my siblings are involved in an issue, I have the same surname, I am dragged into it. Filipinos should not think that way.)