• Erwin Tulfo was angry that he could not get a phone interview with DSWD secretary Rolando Bautista unless he went through the standard procedure of filing a request
• He threatened to slap the DSWD secretary’s face if they ever meet each other
• Tulfo issued an apology following a backlash after his tirade

On May 31, broadcaster Erwin Tulfo of the radio program Tutok Tulfo called the office of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista for a phone interview. Tulfo was told that he had to follow protocol and file for a request for an interview.

This angered Tulfo who then immediately ranted about the secretary on his radio show.

“General Bautista o Secretary Bautista, hindi ka na heneral ng AFP, huwag kang magpaimportante at magpaespesyal. Sagutin mo ang tawag, dahil ang DSWD ang kinalalagyan mo ngayon, para sa mahihirap yan.. isa ka pang heneral na walang kwenta. Ewan ko ba kung bakit ka nalagay ng pangulo dyan, buang ka,” Erwin said

He even threatened to slap the DSWD secretary’s face if they ever run into each other.

“Sasampalin kita pag nakiya kitang buang ka eh. Wala akong pakialam kung retired general ka, ngudngurin ko ‘yung mukha mo sa inidoro,” he added.

The Philippine Army reacted to Tulfo’s rant, specially since Tulfo insulted Bautista who is a retired three-star general. Soldiers all over the country also posted their support for Bautista on their social media accounts, including one man named Agustin Nicolas Leano Sotelo (Nick Sotelo on his Facebook) who is a military consultant.

Sotelo posted on Facebook a throwback photo of Erwin Tulfo who was rescued by Philippine Army Scout Rangers after his speedboat sunk when he was still a newbie broadcaster. Bautista was an Army Ranger during his active service.

In his post, he had mentioned that “Amnesia is indeed such a despicable disease,” referring to Erwin who had forgotten that the Rangers had saved his life.

Sotelo even wrote an open letter to Tulfo as he defended Bautista by telling that the former he should learn how to respect and follow protocols. He mentioned all the achievements Bautista has earned and how well-respected he is by the Philippine Military Academy and other military groups he joined.

“That ‘punyetang’ DSWD secretary you were bad-mouthing on the air was, in fact, an upperclassman of mine in the Philippine Military Academy. He was one of our snappiest upperclassmen, being a very highly-respected and well-loved member of Sandiwa Class of 1985 and a Charlie Company mate of mine. He entered the Philippine Army and became a Scout Ranger, one of the most elite units of the AFP and in fact, the fightingest unit in all the 7,107 islands you know as the Philippines.”

In another post, he posted the statement of the DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista, where he stated that he accepted Erwin’s apology but he must Bautista’s conditions to show his sincerity.

“Hihingi ng paumanhin si Ginoong Erwin T. Tulfo na ipapalabas niya sa mga pangunahing dyaryo sa sukat na hindi liliit sa kalahating pahina na kaniyang babayaran. Ipapalabas din niya itong paghingi ng paumanhin sa social media platforms katulad ng: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram at YouTube at sa mga estasyon ng radio katulad ng: DZBB, DZMM, Radio Singko News FM 92.3, DZRH at DZRB. Magbibigay siya ng donasyon sa halagang hindi bababa sa tatlong daang libong piso (Php 300,000.00) sa lahat ng mga sumusunod sa halip na pambayad ng danyos o bayad-pinsala sa pagkawasak ng aking pagkatao, reputasyon at pati na rin ng mga institusyon na aking kinakatwanan o naging kaanib,” went Bautista’s statement.

In Bautista statement, he thanked all of the people who supported him.

• A graduating elementary kid was found overdosed with gout medicine
• Ominous online challenges encourage ‘suicide’ in kids
• The mother of the victim, from the deadly online challenge, advised parents to watch their children’s social media activities

There is an alarming spread of online trolling, cyberbullying, suicide, and possibly, murder – all rolled into one dangerous online application currently targeted at young children.

Clive Jasper “CJ” Santos, 11, was an honor-student who died and believed to have participated in a deadly online challenge.

He was rushed to their school clinic when one of his classmates saw him in pain, clutching his stomach in the comfort room. It was found out that the boy drank almost 20 tablets of gout medicine.

He was brought to two hospitals but because there was no available toxicologist, Santos was transported to East Avenue Medical Center but the family claimed their child was not given proper attention.

“Pagdating po namin sa East Avenue andun po ‘yung toxicologist pero nakita ko po yung gamut ang sabi lang sa akin susweruhan lang po yung bata atsaka kukuhanan ng samples. Uhm, mula po doon ang sabi nila sa akin i-momonitor daw pero ang nangyari po buhat nung kinuhanan siya ng dugo wala po kahit isang nurse na lumapit,” recounted by the father in Tutok Erwin Tulfo’s coverage.

The family decided to transfer Clive Jasper to the UST Hospital but there the doctors could not do anything more to save the child’s life as the poison has spread all over his body. It was in the afternoon of Thursday when Clive Jasper passed away.

It was a puzzle for his parents why Clive Jasper willingly overdosed himself, especially as he was a kind-hearted child who was not subjected to corporal punishment.

“Even depression nga po, wala siyang ipinapakitang signs,” added his mother Paula Mariz Bautista.

The only thing the family could think of that may relate to his case was CJ’s story that one of his classmates slashed his/her own wrist inside their classroom.

Paula Mariz also found out from her son’s chat log that he and his classmates were exchanging videos of “suicidal” games. When the mother conducted further research, she discovered that her son was being affected by other people who were said to be victims by these dangerous online challenges: the “Momo” and the “Blue Whale” challenge reported back in 2016.

The ominous suicidal challenge “Momo” asks people to add a contact in WhatsApp (messaging app), then they have to harm themselves or commit suicide.

It’s similar to “Blue Whale,” a social media group that encourages people to kill themselves after presenting the “player” with daily tasks for 50 days. The latter has led to multiple suicides in Russia and US through further studies.

Why do players go along with this? If the participants refuse to complete their task, the administrator will release, publish, share, and/or post something extremely personal or highly-sensitive online from their accounts (or at least lead them to believe they will).

As professor at Russian State University for the Humanities, Alexandra Arkhipova found that the administrators were found to be children aged between 12 and 14, drawn to the story as it became widely reported and not, as the hysteria had intimated, predatory adults.

Even if there is no concrete proof that CJ was indeed part of these challenges, Paula Mariz advised her fellow parents to carefully watch over their children, especially their activities online and explain well to them the risks of being influenced by social media.

• Mark Lopez uploaded list of transactions of Kris Aquino’s post boostings using Nicko Falcis’s account.
• Aquino has allegedly spent Php195,000 for the boosting of posts.

After Kris Aquino’s former financial manager, Nicko Falcis, has uploaded screenshots allegedly proving that Jover Laurio received funds from the actress to boost anti-administration posts, Mark Lopez posted screenshots of said transactions.

READ: Mocha Uson allegedly receives Php300k monthly income from Twinmark Media

Based on the photos, Pinoy Ako Blog has spent at least P195,000 in sponsored posts.

Lopez called the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte, Erwin Tulfo, Mocha Uson, Bongbong Marcos, Imee Marcos, Isabelle Duterte, James Deakin, Senator Win Gatchalian, Sass Rogando Sasot, and other Netizens to take a look at the shown transactions.

It was said to be made under the Facebook account of Falcis.

The photos have reached more than 9,000 shares on Facebook.

• Wanda Tulfo-Teo answered the question about whether her brothers will return the Php60 Million to the Government.
• Teo stated that they cannot return the money as it has already been used.

Tulfo siblings insisted that they will not return the Php60 million they received from the government as payment for an advertisement deal between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and People’s Television Network Incorporated (PTV).

During the Senate hearing about the controversy on August 14, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked Wanda Tulfo-Teo if her brothers will return the money. She answered that Ben Tulfo was initially open for it, however, when Atty. Ferdinand Topacio suggested the money to be returned, she answered him that it would be difficult since it has already been spent.

Teo added that what her brother would do with the situations is no longer her decision to make.

“It was suggested by Atty Topacio – he was my lawyer before – if the money could be returned. At the time, there was so much going on already, I asked my brother if it’s possible, if they could return the money. At the end of the day, it’s up to PTV4 and my brother if they would return the money, because our payment was with PTV4.

 “Actually, my first decision was that it should not be returned. When Atty Topacio told me, I said it would be difficult because the money was used already. They already paid, and a lot was already done. But he said you have to do the ultimate sacrifice, so I told my brother and then he said, later on, my younger brother kind of agreed. At the end of the day, whether they return it or not is no longer my decision to make.”

Contradicting Topacio’s statement, Ben Tulfo said that Topacio has no right to speak for him as he is Teo’s lawyer. The siblings also said that they cannot return the money as they already have paid for the production of the said advertisement.

On the other hand, Erwin Tulfo denied his involvement on his brother’s company Bitag Media Unlimited, Inc. (BMUI) and claimed that he’s only a talent.

It can be remembered that Ben Tulfo, who is the the chief executive officer and founder of BUMI said on Facebook dated July 26, that the company obtained the money with a legitimate contract between his Kilos Pronto program and the People’s Television (PTV), which is the government’s flagship television network.

He wrote, “Anong isasauli? Maninigil pa nga kami dahil may utang pa sa’min ang principal na PTV-4 dun sa kanilang kliyente, ang DOT. Kumpleto kami sa kontrata at mga dokumento. Legal ang ginawa namin. Nai-deliver at tinrabaho namin.”

“TV5 stands by the statement of Mr. Tulfo, but will conduct its own internal inquiry into the matter,” the network has released a statement regarding this issue.

Scam?

Erwin Tulfo, a prized broadcaster of TV 5, was allegedly involved in a developing Priority Development Assistance Fund scam!

The network would now investigate the matter, despite standing with Tulfo’s denial to the matter.

According to a report from Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tulfo received a disguised payoffs of “advertising expenses”. The payoffs were said to be coursed through the state-owned National Agribusiness Corporation.

However, the broadcaster denied the involvement. Also, in a statement, the network vowed to look into this matter, and will be fair with their investigation.