Palace probes DOT over P60-M ads on Tulfo’s PTV 4 show

Malacañang is investigating the Department of Tourism (DOT) under Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo following the Commission on Audit (COA) report that the agency paid P60 million worth of advertisements on a government television program produced by her brothers.

READ: COA: Teo’s DOT paid P60M for ads on brother Tulfo’s PTV 4 show

“I would like to confirm that Palace is looking into the matter,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a Palace briefing on Monday.

“Alam niyo na naman ang procedure natin dito sa Palace (You know the procedure here in the Palace). There are news reports. The President will look into it. There will be some kind of investigation to be conducted and the Palace will decide its course of action,” he added.

The COA’s audit of the state-run People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI) showed that there was no memorandum of agreement (MOA) or contract between PTNI and Ben Tulfo’s Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI) to air DOT commercial advertisements in BMUI’s “Kilos Pronto” show.

Roque said the report has reached President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I assure you the Palace will investigate the matter. We have to accept the findings of the COA and I understand this is a final finding but the Palace will investigate,” he said.

“I can confirm na umabot na po ang balita and I can confirm na meron na pong ‘lets look into this,’” he added.

(I can confirm that the news has reached the President and I can also confirm that there was an order to “look into this.”)

The Palace official said the President wanted to know the real deal on the matter.

“Gusto po niyang malaman ang puno’t dulo ng pinag-uusapan dito,” he said.

(He wants to know the root cause of the issue.) /je