There are more corrupt officials under Duterte than in Ramos to Pnoy admins - Mon Tulfo

 

Photo courtesy of CNN Philippines

Special Envoy to China Mon Tulfo just lately aired his frustrations he is experiencing right now for being honest on the issue of corruption among government officials under the current administration.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s battle cry in the 2016 presidential election, he promised of eliminating graft and corruption in the government which now seems to be just an expression.

This statement came not just came from the members of the opposition but from one of the president’s most fierce supporters that there are more corrupt officials under the Duterte administrations than in previous presidencies.

The eldest Tulfo wrote in his August 22 column for the Manila Times, said he has obtained more libel cases under the Duterte administration than during the President’s predecessors.

He also said that the complaints or libel cases he received has linked to his columns accusing certain government officials of corruption.

“How ironic that in this government, which is supposed to be friendly, I have chalked up more libel cases filed by the President’s subalterns than in the previous administrations that were not friendly to me,” Tulfo said.

“All I’m doing is acting as a watchdog of the government that I helped into power in my own little way. “ he explained.

“And to think that there are more corrupt officials in the Duterte administration than in the previous administrations — from Fidel Ramos to Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd!” Tulfo added.

The veteran columnist emphasized that during the Aquino administration, his criticisms of the government officials “were all taken in stride” even if he had frequently singled out the then-President “for his perceived incompetence".

“Not one Cabinet or bureau official in Noynoy’s government filed a libel case against me for my acerbic commentary. It’s only in this administration I’m helping to succeed that I’m being persecuted,” Tulfo also said.

Tulfo stated. In 2019, Tulfo posts bail for two libel cases filed against him by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

He accused the executive secretary of issuing a memorandum “apparently without the President’s knowledge” and which ordered all government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) to support the controversial Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation;

And in his The Manila Times column last July 25, where he accused Medialdea of sitting for an entire year on an appeal made by one Felicito Mejorada for the claim of PHP272.02 million in government reward money.

Last March, Tulfo has also voluntarily surrendered to the police officers because of cyber libel cases against him.

Ramon Tulfo also became a special envoy to China in 2018 upon appointment by President Rodrigo  Duterte.