(Photo courtesy of PNA)
Veteran journalist and columnist Ramon “Mon” Tulfo on Thursday withdrew his allegations that former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez had been secretly leaving his detention facility, admitting that he had relied on incorrect information.
“I was fed the wrong report that former speaker Martin Romualdez could go in and out of jail,” Tulfo said in a Facebook post.
Tulfo acknowledged that spreading inaccurate information was among the most embarrassing and humiliating experiences a journalist could face.
He earlier alleged that Romualdez had been leaving and returning to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas through a concealed arrangement involving jail personnel.
Citing information from a source he described as a “tweety bird,” Tulfo claimed that electricity was deliberately interrupted to disable closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras while Romualdez allegedly used a rear staircase leading to a waiting ambulance.
Romualdez has been detained at the Quezon City jail facility since September 14 in connection with charges arising from the flood control scandal.
Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla rejected Tulfo’s allegations, saying CCTV records maintained by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) showed that Romualdez had not left the detention facility.
Speaking to reporters Thursday on the sidelines of the 2026 Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards National Awarding Ceremony at Camp Crame, Remulla described the allegations as hearsay.
He invited journalists to examine the facility’s CCTV recordings and detention records to verify whether Romualdez had received special treatment or had been allowed to leave without authorization.
“We take it all with all seriousness and again I would invite the entire media to serve as witness and to peruse through all the records of the BJMP kung may special treatment (Romualdez) or kung nakakalabas kasi ang pinapalabas nakakalabas siya ng BJMP. It is not true and I categorically deny and I invite all of you to look at the footages para makita niyo for once and for all na walang nakalabas sa BJMP,” Remulla said.
The Interior secretary also offered to accompany members of the media during an inspection of the BJMP facility to address questions surrounding Romualdez’s detention.
Remulla confirmed that Romualdez remains under medical confinement inside the jail, similar to detained Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, although the two are housed in separate quarters.
“He is still under medical confinement so he and Marcoleta are in separate quarters but again the special treatment goes only as far as the medical condition allows but he does not leave the BJMP, he does not receive visitors outside the areas. In fact, he receives very few visitors, only counsel and family come to him,” Remulla said.
He maintained that any special arrangements for Romualdez were limited to medical considerations and did not include permission to leave the facility.
Remulla also disclosed that Romualdez’s weight had reportedly dropped from 260 pounds to 160 pounds during his detention.
Tulfo’s retraction followed the public denial of his allegations by government officials and renewed calls for journalists to verify information before publishing serious accusations.
