Gordon Cites the ties that bind Tulfo siblings

Claim contract was between Kilos Pronto and PTV4 not DoT shot down.

Five days after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee conducted a hearing on the Tulfo siblings’ allegedly anomalous P60-million advertisement placement, committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said he is convinced there is conflict of interest in the said deal.

Gordon, in a radio interview Sunday, said there are clear implications of conflict of interest.

“They know that they are siblings, they know Wanda was Secretary of Tourism, Ben knew his sister was Secretary of Tourism and Wanda knew Ben had a program, that can’t be denied,” Gordon said.

“PTV4 knew they are siblings but they pushed through (with the contract). Clearly, there was conflict of interest,” the senator added.

Gordon found it “hard to believe” that Wanda didn’t know about her brothers’ program and, knowing that, she should have consulted legal experts before the contract was signed.

He also countered Ben Tulfo’s claim that the contract was between his program and the state-owned PTV4, not with the DoT (Department of Tourism).

“From the very beginning there are four contracts that showed it was, in fact, Ben Tulfo’s show which PTV and the DoT were mentioning,” Gordon said. “There was even a letter citing Kilos Pronto as the program.”

The senator revealed he had spoken to PTV4 officials prior to the hearing, convincing them to stand as state witnesses having said earlier that it was DoT which initiated the P60-million advertisement deal.

However, during the hearing PTV4 officials claimed the contract had come from them to the consternation of the lawmaker.

Gordon said the blue ribbon committee will soon come out with a preliminary report, underscoring the conflict of interest among the Tulfo siblings and PTV4 and the DoT’s involvement in the brouhaha.