Pasay city: Sen. Erwin Tulfo has initiated legal action by filing a complaint for grave oral defamation against three former bodyguards of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. The allegations, which were publicly aired during a June 4 press conference at the Senate, accuse Tulfo of involvement in alleged cash deliveries and human trafficking activities.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 13-page complaint-affidavit was filed on Monday with the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office. Tulfo is seeking to indict Bernard Gumban, Rosebert Waupan, and Benny Bulontate under Article 358 of the Revised Penal Code, in conjunction with Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Tulfo claims that the accusations were made during an irregular Senate proceeding that was streamed live on social media, subsequently gaining traction through news reports, interviews, and online commentaries. He pointed out that the June 4 event took place despite a notice postponing the Blue Ribbon committee hearing and following a shift in Senate leadership on June 3, which resulted in the election of a new committee chairperson.
During the proceeding, Gumban allegedly accused Tulfo of receiving luggage purportedly containing millions of pesos. Tulfo refuted these claims, emphasizing that the accusations were malicious and stemmed from the questioning by former Senate President Alan Cayetano regarding his inclusion in the complaint-affidavit.
Tulfo categorically denied any involvement in illegal financial activities, stating, "I have never authorized, facilitated, or benefited from any flood-control project or from any illegal transaction." He described the allegations as "fantastic and outright lies," noting the inconsistencies in Gumban's statements regarding his alleged residence and the details of the luggage.
The complaint further addressed statements by Waupan and Bulontate, who allegedly implicated Tulfo in human trafficking activities. Tulfo denied these claims as well, asserting that they were baseless and malicious.
Tulfo argued that the respondents should not be protected by privilege or immunity, as the June 4 proceeding was not a legitimate Blue Ribbon committee hearing and fell outside proper legislative procedures. He highlighted that the allegations could have been examined through the appropriate legal process, as submissions were pending before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The public airing of these allegations, Tulfo stated, has caused significant damage to his reputation and standing in the community. The complaint-affidavit requested the filing of the corresponding charges in court against the three respondents.
