The Tulfos are under fire.

[Maverick18]

---

actually, arrogant ra silag batasan towards to those who create anomalies in/outside the government. mas maayo gani ning ilang gapiangbuhat kay ibisto jud nila ang mga modus nga nangahitabo dre sa Pinas. maau untag mabalik tong ilang show nga expose sa abc.

[budmendz]

From Mon Tulfo himself of why Mike is so angry about him...


ON TARGET
Use of naked power


By Ramon Tulfo
Inquirer
Last updated 01:07am (Mla time) 09/09/2006

Published on Page A18 of the September 9, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

HE was not contented having my program, “Isumbong Mo! (Tulfo Brothers),” taken off the air on the government-run RPN 9.

He was not satisfied after I resigned from station dwIZ, where I had my daily radio show, to relieve its owner, former Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua, of intense pressure from him.

He was not contented having all my Marine bodyguards, provided by President Macapagal-Arroyo, taken away.

He was not satisfied after filing libel cases against me and my brothers for exposing the alleged smuggling activities of the siblings Vicky and Tomas Toh. My publisher and editors at the Inquirer and its sister publication, Bandera, were also made respondents in the libel suits.

Now, my erstwhile close friend and confidant, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, must be laughing his head off after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed extortion cases yesterday against me and my brothers Erwin and Raffy.

I have taken everything in stride—being deprived of my TV and radio programs, having my bodyguards taken away from me, and then the libel suits Wednesday—but I have to admit the filing of extortion charges hurt.

The people who supposedly filed the extortion charges against me with the NBI, except for two, are not known to me. I haven’t seen or met them in person.

Davao City Customs Collector John Tan is my friend and fellow Mindanaoan. But he vehemently denied to me he had anything to do with the extortion charges.

Jimmy Salgado, a former correspondent of dwIZ, was my legman at the Bureau of Customs, gathering information of interest for my column. I dissociated myself from him a long time ago when I learned he was using my name.

Before he went into hiding, Salgado called me to say he was pressured by NBI Agent Reynaldo Esmeralda into fabricating a story about me and my brothers “to please FG.” FG stands for First Gentleman.

Salgado, who was crying as he told me about pressure from the NBI, asked my forgiveness before he hung up.

I have forgiven Jimmy and Rey Esmeralda, another friend and fellow Visayan, for persecuting me.

Jimmy and Rey, believe me, I understand!

But I can’t understand why the President’s husband would debase himself by throwing the toilet bowl, including what was in it, at me. His “dirty tricks” people have been spreading obscene caricatures of us, the Tulfo brothers, stark naked.

I can’t understand why he would order the NBI to fabricate a story about my supposed extortion activities at the customs bureau.

The President’s husband, who has everything at his fingertips, was my close friend and confidant. I could have taken advantage of that closeness by asking him for million-peso government contracts. I never did.

Why would I get “coffee money” from the customs when I had a well full of money and gold in front of me?

* * *

Mr. Arroyo, in filing those libel suits against me and the Inquirer and Bandera editors, was clearly sending a strong message: “Don’t mess with me.”

The message is meant for all journalists who in the future might write critical commentaries or stories about him and the First Family.

* * *

He mentioned even further in one of his articles that Mike "was" a close friend and a confidante. Now you hear his side... and we don't have from Mike. The cases were already filed and soon we will hear the decision of the courts wether what we hear from Mon is heavier than what Mike might have.

And here's some follow-up news on his current delimma...

Tulfos face robbery, extortion cases


By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer
Last updated 01:07am (Mla time) 09/09/2006

Published on Page A18 of the September 9, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE National Bureau of Investigation yesterday charged newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo and his brothers Raffy and Erwin with five counts of robbery/extortion.

The charges stemmed from complaints filed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant and four Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel against the brothers.

It followed the arrest of the Tulfo brothers’ alleged “bagman,” Jimmy Salgado of No. 2153 Narra St., United 1, Parañaque City. Salgado, who was allowed to post bail, allegedly told BOC personnel Dolores Domingo and Chito Orbeta, both assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport I, that Raffy Tulfo made some accusations against them that would be published in his “Shoot to Kill” column. NBI Special Task Force chief Reynaldo Esmeralda said an investigation by the unit showed that in March 2002, Domingo and Orbeta decided to charge Tulfo with libel after Salgado threatened that a defamatory article would be published about them if they failed to pay P30,000-P50,000.

But in July 2006, another malicious article against Domingo and Orbeta appeared in Ramon’s column in the Inquirer, the complaint added. A few days later, Salgado approached the duo asking for P50,000 in exchange for the “cessation of further bad publicity,” Esmeralda said. On Aug. 9, Domingo and Orbeta filed robbery/extortion, libel and harassment charges against Salgado and the Tulfos.

Salgado was arrested on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 58. Assisted by his lawyer, Christopher Orly Garcia, Salgado executed a sworn statement detailing the alleged extortion activities of the Tulfos, including another sibling, Erwin.

Salgado claimed he was “used” to collect money every month from BOC officials and employees so the brothers would stop coming out with negative reports on their radio programs and in their newspaper columns.

Four other BOC officials and employees—Horacio Suansing, Juan Tan, Lilian Veces and Amando Quebec—alleged they were also victims of threat and extortion. The NBI National Capital Region Office filed an additional robbery/extortion charge against Ramon and a certain Jocelyn Magnale for allegedly extorting P100,000 from PCG Commandant Arthur Gosingan in March 2004.

Editor’s note: Ramon Tulfo is a regular columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a parent company of INQ7.net.

[inspector_ronan]

Nice info man..

[gnox]

Don't know the whole story about the case but I like the shows of Tulfo brothers especially Bitag.
Hope the court's decision will be base on the truth.

[istoryador]

I personally don't like their arrogance. Akala mo kung sino mag aasta. It's as if they own the media. It is basically alright with me if they use the media to expose issues that is of public concern. Nevertheless, they should do this responsibly. After all, they should be practicing responsible journalism.

Baseless accusations coupled arrogance and misconduct will not be a good avenue for them to deal with the issues they want to expose.

As I have observed, if the media is friendly to the Arroyo's, it is called responsible. However if the media will expose the shenanigans of the Arroyo's, it is called irresponsible.

[rumsfield]

kabalo man gud xa...ala bawt ang mga tulfo

[baron]

As I have observed, if the media is friendly to the Arroyo's, it is called responsible. However if the media will expose the shenanigans of the Arroyo's, it is called irresponsible.

Not really. Maybe you have to observe more.

Responsible journalism is presenting both sides of the issue to clarify the matter. Apparently, some of our journalists never have the habit of practicing such.

Aren't you being biased when you only present one side of the story? The Tulfos have the habit of doing that coupled with their utmost arrogance.

[inspector_ronan]

OT: NObody's perfect. Hello Baron, why are u angry with the Tulfo's na Exposes kaba nila? im Just asking.. Peace. nothing personal curious lang po.
I Think they done a great job. just my opinion. sila tagapangtanggol ng mahihirap at naaapi.

[istoryador]

Not really. Maybe you have to observe more.

Responsible journalism is presenting both sides of the issue to clarify the matter. Apparently, some of our journalists never have the habit of practicing such.

Aren't you being biased when you only present one side of the story? The Tulfos have the habit of doing that coupled with their utmost arrogance.

Aba, noong una, noong one heart pa ang mga tulfo at arroyo ay hindi arrogant ang mga tulfo.

Ngayon dahil ini expose nila si Big Mike, naging arrogant na ang mga Tulfo.

[baron]

OT: NObody's perfect. Hello Baron, why are u angry with the Tulfo's na Exposes kaba nila? im Just asking.. Peace. nothing personal curious lang po.
I Think they done a great job. just my opinion. sila tagapangtanggol ng mahihirap at naaapi.

Natawa naman ako. Nope, I don't think the Tulfos will have anything against me for them to find time to expose on anything.

I am just stating my opinion of their arrogance shown in their tv shows. Ewan ko, there's something about them which makes me not want their way of expose, ever since. I don't care who will they be exposing, if it's the first gentleman, the president, Imelda Marcos, or whoever bigtime personality will it be. What I am concern about is the way they expose the information they gathered because they might be trapped to a not-so-responsible-journalism trend. And many of us are watching their shows.

Peace, everyone.