PNP recalls Tulfo siblings’ escorts

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recalled for review the security escorts of radio broadcaster Erwin Tulfo and two other siblings following his rants and crude language against Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista.

Eight police officers  from the PNP Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) assigned to Tulfo, his brothers Raffy and Ben and Raffy’s wife Jocelyn, were pulled out and reassigned to Camp Crame at Quezon City, a ranking police official said yesterday.

The source said  they received reports the two military escorts of Tulfo’s older brother, Ramon Tulfo, were also recalled.

An individual seeking security from the PSPG is entitled to a maximum of two police escorts. It is not clear why the escorts of Tulfo’s other relatives  were included in the order.

The police official, who spoke on the condition he is not named for lack of authority to speak on the issue, said the order directly came from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

“The Secretary gave the order to us  Saturday night,” the source said in a phone interview.

Año did not reply when sought for comment.

According to the official, the order was in response to Tulfo’s tirades against Bautista after the government official did not grant the broadcaster an interview on his radio program last week.

“We will not tolerate bullying,” the source said.

The police official, a graduate from the Philippine Military Academy where Bautista also belongs, described the retired military official as a man of action who earned the respect of his peers in the military and police.

“He is a good person. He never brags about anything and has served the Philippine Army well,” the source said of Bautista.

PNP spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said the security escorts will undergo regular inspection, interview and debriefing.

It will depend on the review whether the Tulfos can still have security escorts, he said.