Court orders arrest of hard-hitting Tulfo brothers - report

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - A Quezon City court has issued warrants of arrest against broadcasters Erwin and Raffy Tulfo for two counts of libel.

A radio dzMM report said Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 Judge Eleuterio Bathan issued the arrest order against the Tulfo brothers after finding probable cause on the libel complaint filed by Senior Police Officer 3 Abubakhar Manlangit.

Manlangit filed the complaint after the Tulfo brothers called him "magnanakaw" (a thief) in their hard-hitting TV program "T3" on Nov. 19, 2011.

The court set the bail for each count at P6,000.

The arrest warrants were issued only three days after Quezon City Assistant Prosecutor Ferdinand Baylon ordered the filing of the case before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

“This is clearly an imputation of a crime and had the effect of besmirching the reputation of the complainant. The truthfulness of the allegation (against the complainant) is immaterial,” read Baylon's two-page resolution.

Maglangit claimed in the complaint that the Tulfos uttered degrading and insulting words against him while his photo was shown during the show. He said the incident affected his daughter, a minor. with Janvic Mateo