Tulfo admits introducing Caramat to Co, but endorsement bid turned down

MANILA, Philippines — ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has admitted introducing Police Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, but he corroborated the latter’s statements that Caramat’s request for an endorsement was turned down.

Tulfo in an ambush interview at the Batasang Pambansa complex said he knew Caramat from his broadcasting days, noting that he met the police general when he was still a captain.

Co last Thursday denied claims made by Senator Ronald dela Rosa that he and House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez were pressuring Caramat to testify against past administration officials accused of committing rights violations during the drug war.  According to Co, Caramat was hoping to get a recommendation to be the next Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Co also said that Caramat was only introduced to him by Tulfo.

“That I don’t have knowledge [of], because number one, common sense will dictate or will say, that the  Speaker does not pick the Chief of PNP.  It is the President — even if the Speaker tells him that this person is his preferred PNP chief, it is still the President who picks.  So, [it’s] useless,” Tulfo told reporters.

“Second, I read that Zaldy Co said that I introduced General Caramat to him because when I was covering [Camp] Crame, I met General Caramat; he was just a Major or Captain back then.  So he (Caramat) went to me and said ‘Boss I hope you can help me, I’m aspiring to become a Chief PNP,'” Tulfo added.

According to the ACT-CIS lawmaker, he then brought Caramat to Co, but Co immediately said that it might be impossible since the President gets to decide on these matters.

“So, I brought him to Cong. Zaldy, and Cong. Zaldy talked to him so that he would not be put to shame.  But after that, Cong. Zaldy said that this is up to the President, not with us. So outright, Cong. Zaldy told him, ‘I cannot help you.’  Caramat was asking for help because he had no connections,” Tulfo noted.

Lawmakers believe talks of Caramat and other former and current PNP officials being pressured are mere gossip, as Co and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Ricardo de Leon have separately denied these accusations.

Both Co and de Leon said that they met Caramat, but the discussions were about the police official supposedly hoping to get recommended as the next PNP chief.  In exchange for the recommendation, Caramat supposedly vowed to spill what he knew about extrajudicial killings under the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

However, according to de Leon, Romualdez told Caramat that appointing a PNP chief would be the prerogative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with the Speaker adding that he has no influence in these decisions.

This was also echoed by Co.

READ: Nica chief, Co deny pressing PNP execs to testify in ICC

Tulfo reiterated Co and de Leon’s views, insisting that the Speaker has no say in these matters.

“Regarding the Speaker, it is not the Speaker — we all know that it is the President who picks the Chief PNP, even in the case of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the Board of Generals makes recommendations to the President,” he said.

“So, if you look at the equation, the Speaker is not part of those who can pick who will be in position,” he added.