(Eagle News)–The lawyer of former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Monday, July 30, insisted he had been given the go-signal to announce the return of the P60-million payment of the Department of Tourism then-headed by Wanda Teo for the placement of tourism advertisements in her brothers’ program.
Ferdinand Topacio made the statement in a radio interview, after Ben Tulfo, who produced the blocktimer program “Kilos Pronto” which received the placements, said he would not return the money.
“Sa mga nagsasabing isauli ang pera at hinihintay daw ang P60 million, mamuti na ang mga mata ninyo! Wala kaming isasauli,” Tulfo said, arguing that his company, Bitag Media Unlimited, earned the money.
According to Topacio, the return of the money was now a “matter between Mr. Ben Tulfo and his conscience, and of course, with respect to the consequences of the law.”
“Totoo naman po ‘yun (na ako ang nag-announce na ibabalik ang pera),” Topacio said.
“Pero hindi ko naman po sinabi na ako ang magsasauli,” he added.
Teo resigned following the brouhaha that ensued after the Commission on Audit red-flagged the project, citing, among others, a conflict of interest.
