Malacañang said Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo or her husband, Roberto U. Teo, a member of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority’s (Tieza) board of directors, should answer whether one of them should resign out of delicadeza.
This, amid controversies on the P60-million advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism and the government-run Channel 4, registered as People’s Television Network Inc. or People’s Television 4.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was also conducting an investigation of all government officials linked to the controversial advertisement entered between the DoT and Teo’s two brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo.
Roque also said that the Office of the Ombudsman was conducting a separate investigation.
“Delicadeza is addressed to the public office concerns. So it’s not for me to answer that. I do not know if her husband is in Tieza. And I do not know because there are reports that he was there during the time of previous administrations,” the Palace official said.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, who oversees PTV-4 , was also included in the probe.
“It would be an investigation that would cover everyone… It is being investigated by the Office of the President,” Roque earlier said.
He said President Rodrigo Duterte was aware of the controversy and had ordered the investigation.
The Palace spokesperson said an investigation was being conducted by the Executive Secretary, saying “so the Executive Secretary will probably submit his recommendations to the President.”
However, Roque said there was no timeline for the probe but assured that all the people tasked by Malacañang were doing their specific tasks to submit their findings.
The Commission on Audit revealed that the DoT had placed P60 million worth of TV advertisements on the show of her brothers, Ben and Erwin Tulfo, on PTV-4.
Despite the controversies surrounding Tulfo-Teo and other executives involved, Roque said they were still trusted by Duterte.
“Every Cabinet member, until they’re fired, enjoys the trust and confidence of the President… The President lets them go if it’s proven they’re involved in graft and corruption. That’s the President’s track record, “ he said,