Tulfos will not return P60m for TV tourism ads

August 14, 2018

The head of a media outfit which placed tourism ads on government television told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing Tuesday he will not return the P60 million payment.

"I believe that returning the money is tantamount to saying that we did something illegal," said Ben Tulfo, head of Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. "We never did anything illegal. Our transaction with PTV is illegal.

His sister, resigned Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, said: "At first, he ( Ben) was considering ( to return). he said he would try to see where he will get the money because it has been spent," she said.

But Teo said: "The contract had been finished. The money has been spent. Where will the money come from?"

Ben Tulfo said no one from the Department of Tourism approached Bitag Media about ad placements.

On May 8, Teo submitted her letter of resignation to President Rodrigo Duterte after the Commission on Audit said the placement of P60 million in tourism ads to Kilos Pronto, a blocktimer program hosted by her brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo was done without a memorandum of agreement or contract.

A few days before that Teo said there was no conflict of interest since the Department of Tourism entered into a contract with PTV-4 not Kilos Pronto. DMS