Where’s the money?
Ben Tulfo, owner of the now-controversial Bitag Media, has yet to make good his promise to return the P60 million in ad placement fees, which state auditors flagged earlier as ‘‘possible conflict of interest.”
Tulfo is a brother of former DoT chief Wanda Teo, who resigned after the controversy involving his brother.
According to new Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, Tulfo has yet to return the money.
“It hasn’t been returned to the DoT,” said Puyat on the sidelines of the budget hearing at the House of Representatives committee on appropriations.
Teo earlier rejected accusations of conflict of interest in the deal where funds from DoT went to her brother’s company.
Teo’s counsel, Ferdinand Topacio had said last May that the Tulfos agreed to return the P60 million they received from the Department of Tourism after a “ family council.”
But Ben Tulfo apparently had a change of mind in July, saying that they will not return the money, “even if the eyes of those urging them to do so turn white,” as he insisted that the transaction between Bitag Media and DoT was ‘aboveboard.’
Meanwhile, Puyat did not comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s dismissal of Nayong Pilipino officials when asked.
“Ang Nayong Pilipino kasi is under the DOT but we have no jurisdiction,” she said.