Erwin Tulfo: 'The truth will come out very, very soon'

MANILA, Philippines - Television and radio broadcaster Erwin Tulfo addressed allegations implicating him in the alleged pork barrel scam during the 5th Golden Screen TV Awards on Friday, March 21.

 

This is following a report that came out earlier this week in the Philippine Daily Inquirer claiming Tulfo received "payoffs" from the the state-owned National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor) in 2009, when he was a radio broadaster for RMN-dxZL.

 

In a previous interview, Tulfo's lawyer Nelson Borja denied the money from Nabcor was a "payoff."

 

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"Hindi naman payoff ang tawag do'n e, binayaran siya, advertising expenses, doon sa radio station," Borja said."Legal ang transaksyon."

 

Receiving the Helen Vera Lifetime Achievement Award for News Broadcast with his brothers Raffy and Ben Tulfo, Erwin said: "Pangako ko ho sa mga sumusuporta sa akin--sa aking pamilya, sa aking mga kaibigan, sa mga media, sa TV5--pangako ko po na hindi ko sisirain ang inyong tiwala." 

 

The TV5 news anchor added, "Asahan n'yo po na the truth will come out very, very soon."

 

"At sa mga kritiko ko po, hindi ito magiging hadlang para ituloy-ituloy ho ang serbisyo publiko naming magkakapatid," he further said.

 

Talking to members of the press on the sidelines of the Golden Screen TV Awards at Teatrino, Greenhills in San Juan City, Erwin reiterated that the alleged payoff was payment for advertising or commercial slots. He explained that radio anchors are given three-minute advertising slots by their stations--a practice that the Kapisinan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas knows about.

 

Erwin said his camp is planning to file a libel case against the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

 

"Nagusap na po kami ng aking lawyer, and they are preparing now for a libel. Masakit man tanggapin, magkakasama tayo sa media--nasa print sila, nasa broadcast ako--pero kailangan mo ituwid ang isang bagay" he said. "Walang pinagkaiba yan sa isang pamilya. Kapag may pagkakamali ang isang kapatid, kailangan pagsabihan mo."

 

Erwin added, "In this case, kinausap na naman namin, sinabi na namin na kailangan namin ng apologies pero ayaw naman. So we will resort to something."

 

"And I think, if this is the only way to clear my name, to go to the courts, we will do that kasi we have evidence, we have back-up evidence. Andyan yung tape on air na commercial mismo," he further explained. 

 

"Iprepresenta rin namin yung contract, may contract kami sa Department sa Agriculture at saka yung witholding tax. May tax yung bayad. Wala naman sigurong suhol na may tax. Lahat naman ng suhol, walang buwis. Ito, meron."

 

Tulfo is one of the three broadcast journalists implicated in the alleged P10-B pork barrel scam. The Inquirer report claimed Tulfo and radio broadcaster Melo del Prado, a news anchor for the GMA-owned radio station dzBB, received P245, 535 in bribes in 2009 from then Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. 

 

The report added another "prominent TV and radio personality" got a P2 million pay off from Nabcor.

 

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Both TV5 and GMA said in their seperate official statements that they will investigate the allegations.

 

"In accordance with standard procedure, we will conduct a thorough investigation of any allegations of violations. Due process will be observed and we will ensure that full sanctions will be applied if determined to be necessary," GMA-7 said in a statement.

 

"TV5 stands by the statement of Mr. Tulfo, but will conduct its own internal inquiry into the matter," the Kapatid network said in its statement.