Bitag to return P60-M payment for DOT ads

Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. (BMUI), the media outfit owned by the brother of Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo, on Monday has decided to return the P60 million advertisement funds from the Department of Tourism (DOT).

In a radio interview, Teo’s legal counsel and spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio said that BMUI’s action was done to demonstrate good faith and to show that there was no corruption in the advertisement deal.

The P60 million was paid to BMUI by the government-owned People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI). BMUI produces “Kilos Pronto,” a news magazine program on PTV-4 where the DOT advertisements were placed.

The deal caused a controversy after the Commission on Audit on April 27 released a report stating that the only memorandum of agreement (MOA) on file was between PTNI and DOT, and questioned the absence of a contract or MOA between PTNI and BMUI.

“Due to the absence of the documents mentioned and the deficiencies noted, the accuracy, legality and validity of the payments made to blocktimer BMUI in the amount of P60,009,560.00 could not be ascertained,” COA said.

The content was written for Philippine Canadian Inquirer’s Daily News Round-Up, May 7, 2018 edition