DOT chief: 'Strongest Man' event hosting case already with COA

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday said the contract of the questioned “World’s Strongest Man” competition is now being reviewed by the Commission on Audit.

“It is now with the COA,” Puyat told Philstar.com at the sidelines of the Makati Business Club annual meeting.

In the weekly forum Kapihan sa Manila Bay on Wednesday, Puyat reiterated that the contract on the competition is under review because the payment should not be in dollars.

Last month, online news site Politiko published a report alleging that Wanda Tulfo-Teo, who resigned as Tourism secretary over a controversial ad deal involving her brother's media company, signed a $2-million (P105-million) contract to host the competition in the country from April 28 to May 6.

READ: DOT announced 'Strongest Man' hosting months before deal was sealed

The news outlet said that it “learned the value of the contract Teo signed with Minimax Advertising and Production Corp., the Philippine representative of WSM’s producer, IMG Productions LLC, was double the proposed $1-million (P52.7 million) budget for the event.”

It added that the supposed overpriced contact did not undergo public bidding.

The contract obtained by the news outlet revealed that the Department of Tourism-Bids and Awards Committee recommended alternative method of contracting.

Puyat earlier said she asked the COA to review all the contracts of the DOT. She shared that she is not comfortable with the existing contracts and just wanted to seek the approval from the commission.

Teo, who signed the contract on the country’s hosting of the 41st "World’s Strongest Man" resigned in May amid the controversy involving funds the DOT paid PTV-4 and were later remitted to Tulfo's Bitag Media Unlimited Inc., a transaction that the COA said lacked proper documentation.

The competition's qualifiers were held in the country  from April 28 to May 1 and the finals were held May 5 to 6.