Sen. Erwin Tulfo has moved to press criminal charges against three former bodyguards of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, following public accusations linking him to alleged cash deliveries and human trafficking activities raised during a June 4 Senate-related briefing.
In a complaint filed before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office, Tulfo accused Bernard Gumban, Rosebert Waupan, and Benny Bulontate of grave oral defamation, saying the statements fall under Article 358 of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
At the center of the complaint are allegations made during a Senate-linked press conference that were later broadcast and circulated online, where the three respondents reportedly implicated Tulfo in the supposed delivery of cash-filled luggage and other illegal activities.
Tulfo said the remarks were made in a setting that was not part of a duly constituted Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, arguing that the claims were aired in a forum outside formal legislative processes despite prior changes in the committee schedule and Senate leadership realignments.
He rejected the accusations in full, insisting that he has never participated in or benefited from any flood control projects or illicit financial transactions.
The senator also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in the testimonies, including vague details about his alleged residence and conflicting accounts regarding the supposed cash deliveries and circumstances surrounding them.
Separate allegations linking him to human trafficking activities were also categorically denied, with Tulfo stating that no such incidents ever occurred in any of the locations mentioned by the respondents.
He said the public dissemination of the claims caused serious damage to his reputation as a public official and private individual, emphasizing that the accusations exposed him to ridicule and suspicion.
Tulfo further argued that the respondents cannot rely on legislative immunity, saying the statements were made outside any valid congressional proceeding.
The complaint seeks the filing of criminal information against the three respondents for defamation and related offenses.
