Libel complaint progression detains Mon Tulfo, Inquirer editors

“While our bail bonds were being processed, we were fingerprinted like all ordinary accused. Like ordinary crime suspects, our mug shots were also taken,” Tulfo wrote. (Photo: Ramon Tulfo/Facebook)

Ramon “Mon” Tulfo along with three of the top editors of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) were detained for six hours on May 28, Monday because of a libel complaint by a “very influential church group.”

Tulfo, in a Facebook post laid out all the details of the said detention of PDI’s Executive Editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, Opinion Editor Rosario “Chato” Garcellano, Associated Editor Pergentino Bandayrel, Jr., and himself in the Makati Police station.

“While our bail bonds were being processed, we were fingerprinted like all ordinary accused. Like ordinary crime suspects, our mug shots were also taken,” Tulfo wrote.

He added that Garcellano was “on the verge of tears” while the mug shots were being taken.

“It was the first time the Inquirer editors were placed in such a tight – nay, humiliating – situation,” Tulfo further wrote.

The libel complaint is only one of the “over 90 libel cases” that were filed against Tulfo and the Inquirer editors – which rooted from a column he wrote for PDI.

“On March 4, 2017, I wrote in my column, On Target, that the Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC’s) compound in Quezon City was raided by the police which confiscated many firearms. I said that the compound, which was equivalent to the Catholic Church’s Vatican, was considered ‘holy ground’ by the sect,” he said in his Facebook post.

He also wrote that most of the libel cases were already dismissed by various prosecutor’s (formerly fiscal’s) offices.

“In short, those prosecutor’s offices which dismissed the case thought my statement did not constitute libel. However, at least three cases have been filed in court: In Tagum, Davao del Norte; Dasmarinas, Cavite; and Bacoor, Cavite,” he added.

With this, Tulfo said that they expect more libel cases to be filed in court in other places from the same column.