A common trait?
“Until your eyes turn white!” This is what Ben Tulfo is telling all those who are expecting his company to return the P60 million paid to them by the DOT under his sister, Wanda Teo. The COA flagged the said contract, as it constituted a conflict of interest and possibly violates the anti-graft law. Tulfo claims that a legitimate contract exists between the DOT and his company. They provided services, so they got paid. End of story. Tulfo even belittles the P60-million contract, calling it pittance compared to the other contracts his company supposedly got from other advertisers.
In that case, whose eyes are Tulfo referring to? The COA? DOT Secretary Puyat? Harry Roque who said they are expecting Tulfo to return the money because they offered to? His brother Ramon who recently wrote an article stating: “No matter from what angle you look at it, the contract was irregular for Wanda to pour in hundreds of millions of pesos in advertisements with PTV 4, where Ben is a private contractor. It was conflict of interest, on Wanda’s part. Ben and Wanda may be charged with plunder, a non-bailable offense, for all I care”? The Ombudsman? Or the Filipino people following this story?
It seems arrogance is a trait shared by those who claim to be close to President Duterte. We all know the recent events that saw Pantaleon Alvarez lose the Speakership of the House to Gloria Arroyo, through a perceived coup quietly launched by the majority of the lawmakers, who obviously had enough of Alvarez’ hubris. Even the timing of the said coup was designed to humiliate Alvarez, where he would be unceremoniously removed as speaker minutes before the president’s third State of the Nation Address. Duterte supposedly threatened to walk out of the SONA, if they would not sort things out. Alvarez was then allowed to introduce Duterte and still sit at the rostrum for the duration of the president’s speech. I’m sure he was no longer paying attention to the president’s address, and all the while thinking about his future. His future as one of the congressmen. But I digress.
The Tulfos are known to be longtime close supporters of Duterte. Now we have one of them actually taunting those who have called out a possible violation of the anti-graft law, and those waiting for him to return the P60 million “pittance” from the DOT, then under his sister Wanda Teo. Here we have a person thumbing his nose at practically everyone, obviously unperturbed by the consequences of the situation. His arrogance even goes as far as belittling the amount of P60 million, which by the way is the people’s money. We have to state that the actual offer to return the P60 million came from Ferdinand Topacio, Ben Tulfo’s lawyer, who Ramon Tulfo said was only speaking for himself.
So how do you solve a problem like Ben Tulfo? Another situation that the new Ombudsman might want to take a look at, if ever.
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