Ramon Tulfo, a newspaper columnist and former special envoy for public diplomacy to China, was arrested on Wednesday for cyber libel, according to Manila Police District Director Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco.
Tulfo was apprehended around 10:30 a.m. and was delivered to the Special Mayor’s Reaction Team (SMART) office at Manila City Hall.
“He is still in our SMART’s office at City Hall. His case is libel,” Francisco told GMA News Online in a message.
Tulfo was detained by SMART staff, according to the MPD public information office (PIO).
Tulfo was arrested based on a warrant issued by Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Presiding Judge Maria Victoria A. Soriano-Villadolid, according to the first report from the MPD.
This is regarding his alleged violation of Republic Act No. 10175, often known as the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Before his incarceration, an attorney named Atty, former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s lawyer, Lean Cruz, contacted MPD about the issue and requested police aid in apprehending Tulfo.
According to GMA News Online, Aguirre II is the complainant in the case that resulted in Tulfo’s arrest.
Ramon Tulfo arrested for cyber libel – MPD chief
The warrant of arrest, he claims, was issued one or two years ago, but Ramon Tulfo was supposedly hiding.
“Palagi kasing nagtatago ‘yan e. Ngayon lang natyempuhan. Matagal na ‘yang warrant of arrest na ‘yan, mga isa, dalawang taon,” he said in a message.
(Tulfo was always hiding. It was only now that the authorities had the opportunity to catch him. That arrest warrant was issued a long time ago, around one to two years ago.)
According to Aguirre, the court issued the arrest order against Tulfo because he allegedly failed to present at the sessions.
“Kaya nade-delay ‘yung mga case because of his failure to appear kaya nag-issue ang court ng arrest warrant against him for failure to appear sa mga trial,” he said.
(The cases were delayed because he failed to appear, so the court issued an arrest warrant against him for failure to appear in trials.)
Aguirre has sued Ramon Tulfo for libel and cyber libel over multiple charges, including the former Justice Secretary’s alleged involvement in the Bureau of Immigration’s “pastillas” scam.
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