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(Eagle News)—Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday, Aug. 14, lashed out at media organizations he said have made it appear in stories that he had a hand in the P60-million tourism ad placement mess. “I am not part of this,” Tulfo said at the Senate blue ribbon panel’s hearing on the issue, referring to the contract between Bitag Media Unlimited Inc., the company owned by his brother Ben, and the Department of Tourism then-led by their sister, […]
(Eagle News) — The Senate blue ribbon committee will look into the controversial P60-million advertisement placement deal between the Department of Tourism then-headed by Wanda Teo and Bitag Unlimited Inc., her brother’s company. According to Richard Gordon, chair of the panel, they will use as evidence the Commission on Audit report that red-flagged the project. “Di kami basta nag-iimbestiga. Siyempre kinukuha muna namin yung facts of the case, any applicable laws,” he said. He said […]
(Eagle News) — Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque described as “unfortunate” Ben Tulfo’s statement he would not return the P60 million paid by the Department of Tourism under then-Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo for the placement of advertisements in his program. “(Para) sa akin nakakalungkot iyan, dahil yung pangakong ibabalik ay galing kay Ben at kay Wanda Tulfo,” Roque said over dzrh radio. Even then, he said President Rodrigo Duterte himself said the process to hold those accountable […]
(Eagle News)—Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday, July 30, said he would file charges against former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and her brothers for the P60-million tourism advertisements placement deal. In a statement, Trillanes also called on the Senate blue ribbon committee to act on his resolution calling for an inquiry into the matter so “we could determine the magnitude of corruption, specifically how much more of the people’s money was squandered by the previous […]
(Eagle News) — A career officer at the Department of Tourism was named as the officer-in-charge of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) after the resignation of its chief operating officer actor Cesar Montano. Arnold Gonzales was unanimously chosen as OIC of the Tourism Promotions Board, a government-owned corporation attached to the Department of Tourism tasked to market and promote the Philippines domestically and internationally as a world-class tourism and MICE destination. Gonzales is a […]
(Eagle News) — Senator Leila de Lima urged the government to file charges against former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, former Tourism Promotions Board chief Cesar Montano and some of their officials over “the apparent gross misuse of government funds” in the Department of Tourism. De Lima issued the statement after both Teo and Montano resigned over separate controversies. Teo stepped down after the Commission on Audit red-flagged the DOT’s placement of P60 million worth of […]
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has given blanket authority to new Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat for her to investigate alleged anomalies and other perceived irregularities inside the Department of Tourism. Special Assistant to the President, Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go, said that President Duterte is supportive of the reforms being implemented by Secretary Puyat in the tourism department once headed by Wanda Teo. The Commission on Audit (COA) will also help the tourism secretary address the […]
(Eagle News) — The Department of Tourism has a new spokesperson. Newly installed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat assigned Benito Bengzon to the post, in department order No. 2018-38 issued on May 18. Bengzon is the current undersecretary for tourism development planning. “This order shall take effect immediately and remain valid unless subsequently amended and/or revoked,” Puyat said. Puyat replaced Wanda Teo, who resigned over a P60-million advertisement placement controversy.
(Eagle News)—-Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer Cesar Montano on Friday, May 18, said it was then-Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo who introduced him to the owner of the marketing agency behind the controversial “Buhay Carinderia” program. In an interview over dzbb, Montano said apart from introducing Erlinda Legaspi of MaryLindbert International as a “friend,” it was also Teo who pushed for the payment of P80 million in just a month to the marketing agency even […]
(Eagle News)– Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Thursday, May 18, said she would suspend the conduct of the “Buhay Carinderia” project of the Tourism Promotions Board, and other projects that did not undergo any bidding. In a press conference, she said that she has asked TPB Cesar Montano, whom she met on Wednesday evening, to submit to her a list of all projects. She said she has already written the Commission on Audit for it […]
(Eagle News) — Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre has resigned. In a letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, Alegre said the “courtesy resignation” was to give newly appointed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat the “free hand to determine who would be allowed to continue to serve in the said department.” Earlier, Puyat asked all 10 undersecretaries and secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations. In the letter dated May 15, Alegre said when he accepted the post […]
(Eagle News) — Former Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat took her oath as the new Tourism secretary on Monday, May 14. According to a news release from Malacanang, Romulo-Puyat was accompanied by her daughter and parents during the oath-taking ceremonies in the Palace that were not open for media coverage. The ceremonies came hours after President Rodrigo Duterte skipped the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections because all the candidates, according to the President, were his friends […]
