Bacolod council mulls declaring Ben Tulfo as ‘persona non grata”

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran on Monday said majority of the members of the city council will hold a caucus on a resolution declaring commentator Ben Tulfo as “persona non grata” here.

Familiaran said they accused Tulfo of “maligning” and “embarrassing” Mayor Evelio Leonardia and putting the city of Bacolod in a bad light in his YouTube program without first verifying the claims of a certain Norma.

“Norma” alleged that she was not paid for a basketball event she organized in Bacolod City last October.

Familiaran said the claims of Norma are all lies and half-truths.

He said neither the city government nor Leonardia has anything to do with the event, a basketball game between police officers of Bacolod and some male cast of the Ang Probinsyano teleserye.

Familiaran said the event is not even part of the MassKara festival contrary to the claims of Tulfo in his program.

He added that the complainant also approached him but she used a different name then. The complainant’s claims were far from what she presented way back in October reiterating that it was an event the organizer proposed to the BCPO.

Councilor Victor Espino, who was also with Familiaran, said the city government and the MassKara committee has nothing to do with the event.

Espino said he was involved in the project because he chaired the Peace and Order Committee.

He said he received a call Friday night from an unknown number but was not able to take it because he was preoccupied then.

He only came to know later it was Tulfo.

He said he is reserving his answers to the issues and will call for a press conference this week while at the same time considering legal moves against the organizer.

Leonardia said he does not even know about the basketball event and when he got the call from Tulfo, he told the latter that he will relay it to Espino.

But he lamented that Tulfo went on “lecturing” and embarrassing him on his program.

One thing good about the incident, Leonardia said, is that many people sympathized and reassured him of their support.

“I am innocent about it,” Leonardia said.