Tulfo files defamation raps vs Defensor, others

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Erwin Tulfo filed criminal complaints yesterday for grave oral defamation in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 against detained former lawmaker Mike Defensor, lawyer Levito Baligod and several others over allegations linking him to the alleged flood control fund scam.

Tulfo personally filed the complaint before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office against Defensor, Baligod, self-proclaimed former bodyguards Jeron Valderama and Bernard Gumban, Quezon City Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica, lawyer Virgilio Garcia and other respondents.

The complaint stemmed from statements made during a June 16 gathering at the Doublegem EDSA Garden Events Place in Mandaluyong that was originally branded as a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing but proceeded as a press conference after no senator attended.

In his complaint-affidavit, Tulfo alleged that the respondents publicly accused him of involvement in alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

He said the statements were livestreamed and widely circulated on social media, damaging his reputation.

Denying the accusation, Tulfo said: “Why would I receive a suitcase of cash when I don’t even have any flood control projects? If that were true, my name should have already surfaced during the first flood control hearing.”

He maintained that his name did not appear in the General Appropriations Act or the National Expenditure Program for infrastructure projects either during his term as congressman or after he was elected senator.

“I have no infrastructure projects, no flood control projects, no farm-to-market roads. None at all. I didn’t get even a single centavo from government projects. So why would I receive this huge amount of money from Zaldy Co? I received nothing,” Tulfo said.

He asked prosecutors to find probable cause and file charges against the respondents for violating Article 358 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Last month, the senator filed a separate oral defamation complaint against the same group before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

Defensor and three others were arrested for plunder on Monday.

Defensor is among the campaign donors of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta in the 2025 midterm elections.

Based on Marcoleta’s public admission, the three contributed P75 million for his senatorial bid.