While opposition groups view the resignation of Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo as an admission of guilt, her counsel Ferdinand Topacio said the decision was made “out of delicadeza to protect the family name.”
Topacio said Teo “was sad, but there was relief on her face” when she handed her resignation letter to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea during the Cabinet meeting late on Monday.
Teo did not report to the office on Tuesday morning to say goodbye to DOT officials and personnel. “We just learned that she resigned in the news. We were surprised she’ll leave us so suddenly,” one of the employees said.
A manifesto of support signed by more than a hundred DOT personnel was posted near the back entrance of the DOT building in Makati.
Topacio said her client’s resignation was proof that “she’s not clinging to her post and she doesn’t want to harm her family and the President.”
Topacio disclosed that until Monday night, Teo was adamant about resigning as she still enjoyed the trust and confidence of the President. After a long and deliberate reflection and soul-searching,” however, he said she decided to leave her post.
Asked what caused the change of heart, Topacio admitted there were “other internal factors,” which he did not disclose.
No demand to resign from Duterte
Teo’s counsel also clarified that there was no demand from President Duterte for Teo to resign. The former DOT chief was one of the original 27 Cabinet members appointed by President Duterte during his inauguration on June 30, 2016.
Prior to her appointment, Teo was already involved in the tourism industry as co-owner of a Davao-based travel agency, Mt. Apo Travel and Tours. Her husband, Roberto, was a former assistant city administrator of Davao City.
Critics lambasted Teo’s approval of a deal between between the DOT and state-run network People’s Television Network, saying it constitutes a big conflict of interest as PTV4 chose to air the agency’s tourism ads on “Kilos Pronto,” a show produced by Bitag Media Unlimited Inc., a media company owned by her brother Ben Tulfo.
The Commission on Audit (COA) questioned PTN’s disbursement of P60 million to Bitag Media, without proper documentation.
READ: COA: Teo’s DOT paid P60M for ads on brother Tulfo’s PTV 4 show
Despite his claim that the Tulfos are “a close-knit family,” Topacio said Teo learned that the ads were to be placed on her brother’s show belatedly.
Pundits also noted that her husband, Roberto Teo, remains a board member at the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone (Tieza), an attached agency of DOT. He was appointed in February 2014 by then President Benigno Aquino. He was also board member of Land Bank of the Philippines; he was appointed only in June last year.
Topacio explained that Teo’s husband was in a holdover position at Tieza, as President Duterte has not appointed his replacement.
He gave assurances that Teo would cooperate in all the investigations to be conducted by the Senate, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Palace.
“She is asking everyone to respect her privacy at the moment,” he said. /ee – With report from Jonnabeth Ortega