Columnist Mon Tulfo has expressed disappointment over the alleged lack of action of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration against corruption.
In his Manila Times column wrote on August 22, Tulfo narrated that he offered his assistance to President Duterte to be a ‘watchdog’ against corruption, however, he’s now being “persecuted” for helping the current administration.
He complained about the libel cases filed against him under the Duterte administration.
“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 added.
Tulfo then made a surprising statement, saying that there “are more corrupt officials under the Duterte administration than the previous administrations”
“During the administration of Aquino 3rd, whom I severely criticized for his perceived incompetence, my criticisms of government officials were all taken in stride. 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 stated.
In 2019, Tulfo posts bail for two libel cases filed against him by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
These columns included the July 20 column “There goes Cayetano as House Speaker, also Medialdea,” where Tulfo 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 to support the controversial Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation; and a July 25 column where Tulfo 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 also voluntarily surrendered to the police officers because of cyber libel cases against him.
Tulfo also became a special envoy to China in 2018 upon appointment by President Duterte.
Source: [1]