MANILA, Philippines — The decision to investigate a controversial Department of Tourism advertisement contract is up to the chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee chair, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV earlier Monday had reiterated his call for the Senate panel to look into the matter. He also said would also file plunder charges against former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo and her brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo.
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Trillanes filed a Senate resolution in May seeking an inquiry into the potentially anomalous advertisement deal between the DOT, state-run PTV network, and Ben Tulfo's Bitag Media Unlimited Inc.
According to Sotto, Sen. Richard Gordon, panel chair, would decide on whether hearings would be held.
Trillanes and Gordon traded barbs last year when the Senate blue ribbon committee held hearings on the P6.4-billion shabu smuggling case that had led to the resignation of some Customs officials and the reassignment of others.
Trillanes had alleged that Paolo Duterte, the president's son and who was vice mayor of Davao City at the time, was involved in drug smuggling. Gordon cleared the president's son, who had denied Trillanes' accusations, and said the committee would not make decisions based on hearsay and rumors.
Sotto: Contract will come up at budget hearings
"If there is a resolution, we leave it to the chairman of the Senate committee, on which committee it was referred to. It is in their hands. The ball is with them," Sotto told reporters on Monday.
The Senate leader said that he will talk to Gordon to "find out what is brewing with the committee."
Asked about the refusal of Ben Tulfo to return the P60 million to the government, Sotto said he is still studying the system of broadcast, particularly the payment made between the government agency and the production house.
"I do not know the reason of Mr. Tulfo... why they cannot return it," Sotto said, adding that the blue ribbon committee may step in depending on the reasons.
The issue may also be discussed when the Senate deliberates the budget for the DOT and the People's Television Network, Inc., the government-owned and controlled corporation that runs television channel PTV.
"Even if we do not conduct a hearing to that effect, this will all come out during the time when we will be taking up the budget of the Department of Tourism and the body in charge of broadcast, the PTV-4," Sotto said.
The Commission on Audit earlier reported that PTV's 2017 disbursement records for three checks issued to Bitag were anomalous, casting doubts on the legality and validity of the payments made by the DOT.
In his resolution, Trillanes stressed that there is an immediate need to look into the irregularities into the DOT's budget to ensure that government funds are legally and properly allocated.