The Yellows who have lorded it over the alleged anomalous billion-peso government tourism program during the administration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd are back in harness. And their Trojan horse is none other than alleged Duterte favorite and new tourism secretary, Bernadette Romulo Puyat.
The chief Aquino-era tourism guru who is reportedly the mastermind of Puyat’s appointment is long-time advertising executive Ramon Jimenez, Jr. Ad man Jimenez not only avoided the heat for his involvement in awarding a P1.2-billion advertising blitz during the Noynoy years to drumbeat the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, he was also instrumental in bringing down President Rodrigo Duterte’s original tourism secretary, the clueless Wanda Tulfo Teo.
This is by no means a defense of Tulfo and her brothers, who are embroiled in a controversy that is mostly of their own making. In fact, in a separate, succeeding column, I shall delve into the People’s Television advertising contract that not only brought down Teo, but also smeared her brothers, broadcasters Ben and Raffy Tulfo.
But for now, it is important to understand what really led to the downfall of Teo, and shortly thereafter, Tourism Promotion Board head Cesar Montano. It has all the hallmarks of a Yellow diversionary “operation” dreamed up by Jimenez and his old DoT henchmen, implemented with the very important help of Puyat, who not only played the fireman’s role in the Jimenez graft case but who also made sure that the old Noynoy gang is reinstated.
On April 26 of this year, the National Bureau of Investigation filed with the Office of the Ombudsman a graft complaint against Jimenez, some of his top officials and two advertising executives regarding alleged anomalies in the “It’s More Fun” campaign. The NBI said Jimenez and some of his top officials led by Undersecretary Benito Bengzon awarded to advertising outfit Dentsu Philippines Inc. the “It’s More Fun” contract that cost the government P1.2 billion in three years.
The NBI found “badges of fraud” in Jimenez’s awarding of the contract to Dentsu. The investigating agency said Dentsu was given the deal despite a lack of approval from the directors of TPB and opposition from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC).
It is important to point out that both Bengzon and Arnold Gonzales were known as trusted subordinates of Jimenez during the Noynoy years. Bengzon, by the way, is the only official from Teo’s time who was retained by Romulo, while Gonzales, another Aquino appointee, was promoted by Puyat to the post of OIC after the resignation of Montano.
Less than a month after the NBI brought charges against Jimenez and his subordinates, the story of the P60 million advertising contract between the DoT and government television PTV4 allegedly favoring Ben Tulfo’s “Kilos Pronto” of Bitag Media Unlimited broke. This was quickly followed by the alleged anomalous “Buhay Carinderia” contract that was awarded by Montano to a private company, even if no anomalies have been unearthed so far in that deal.
Both Teo and Montano were believed by Jimenez and his gang, according to my sources, of initiating the NBI’s investigation into the “It’s More Fun” campaign. It was time, they decided, to get rid of both Duterte appointees and to find someone “friendlier” to Aquino’s tourism officials who would even continue their old projects.
The key to smearing both Teo and Montano was the Commission on Audit, whose chairman, Michael Aguinaldo, was an Aquino appointee who was once an associate in the law firm of a very powerful official in the current Duterte administration. And the same palace official, according to my sources, decided that Puyat was to replace Teo and be given free rein to choose an equally friendly subordinate to take over Montano’s post.
Teo and Montano never had a chance. The same palace official warned both Duterte appointees that the President would not look kindly on them fighting the appointment of Puyat, even if she was clearly being used by Jimenez to divert attention away from the Dentsu contract and the “It’s More Fun” campaign.
It was Aguinaldo who released the damning (if largely unsubstantiated) allegations against both Teo and Montano. The CoA notices were instrumental in forcing the removal of the two, especially since they had been told that it would do them no good to oppose Puyat, because of her alleged long-time special relationship with the President.
There is apparently some truth to the palace official’s warning. Puyat was an undersecretary in the Department of Agriculture during Noynoy’s administration and the only official retained by the now incumbent Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol upon Duterte’s assumption of the presidency; her father, Alberto, was not only Noynoy’s first foreign affairs secretary but also the budget secretary in the Cory Aquino government.
Here’s the knock on Berna: It is telling that Puyat, who has cultivated the image of being a crusader against graft and corruption, has also called for the continuation of the “It’s More Fun” campaign — the same campaign that got Jimenez into trouble in the first place — and other alleged anomalous projects during Jimenez’s time.
Another high-profile project from Jimenez’s term as tourism chief that is making a comeback under Puyat is the Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM), which she emphatically called “my baby” in a recent interview. The three-year-old project, which claims to promote Philippine cuisine and tourism, has mostly been showcasing Spanish culture and culinary experts, with the backing of the sister-chef of another top Aquino official.
Teo’s and Montano’s involvement in MFM was to postpone the five-year project after they said they uncovered alleged anomalies committed by organizers and previous DoT and TPB officials during Jimenez’s time. These include the non-submission of terminal liquidation reports for part of the P360 million spent per year for 2015 and 2016 by the government to stage the three-day event.
According to the two former Duterte officials, no biddings were conducted for MFM, as well as the World Street Food Congress and the MTV Music Evolution, another Jimenez-backed project, which cost Filipino taxpayers $3.8 million for a one-night music concert event. Yes, that last project was a one-night concert, which not a lot of Filipinos were even aware of.
Meanwhile, Puyat has also convinced CoA’s Aguinaldo to conduct an unusual “pre-audit” of all contracts entered into by Teo, even if CoA usually enters the picture only in “post-audits” of consummated deals. Aguinaldo was reportedly “directed” by Puyat, as well, to look into deals entered into during Teo’s time, but only during her time, completely ignoring the NBI case against Jimenez.
(To be continued tomorrow)
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