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Ramon Tulfo retraction has drawn attention to the controversy surrounding former House Speaker Martin Romualdez after the broadcaster admitted that he shared incorrect information about the lawmaker allegedly leaving the New Quezon City Jail without authorization. Tulfo acknowledged that he failed to verify the claims before publishing them, prompting renewed scrutiny of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) investigation and the Sandiganbayan’s request for detention records.

Broadcaster and columnist Ramon Tulfo has acknowledged that the information he previously shared about former House Speaker Martin Romualdez allegedly leaving a detention facility without authorization was incorrect, adding a new development to the controversy surrounding the lawmaker’s detention.

Tulfo’s admission came after the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) investigated allegations that Romualdez had secretly left the New Quezon City Jail in an ambulance, supposedly with the help of personnel who allegedly disrupted the facility’s CCTV monitoring system.

The allegations prompted the Sandiganbayan to seek additional records from the BJMP to establish whether Romualdez had made any unauthorized movements while under detention.

According to reports published on November 5, Tulfo admitted that he had received erroneous information and shared it without properly verifying its accuracy. He also apologized over the controversy.

Tulfo says he failed to verify information

In his statement, Tulfo described the incident as one of the most embarrassing experiences of his journalism career.

He acknowledged that he accepted the information from his source as factual and passed it on to his readers without conducting sufficient verification.

Tulfo also admitted that he should have independently checked the claims before publishing them.

His retraction followed the BJMP’s announcement that its initial review of surveillance footage showed no recorded power interruption, CCTV disruption, or movement by Romualdez outside the detention facility during the period examined.

The bureau also released images showing Romualdez inside the jail.

The admission was reported by News5 and DZRH on November 5. News 5 | Always On+2

Sandiganbayan orders BJMP to submit detention records

Despite the retraction, the Sandiganbayan Third Division continued examining the circumstances surrounding Romualdez’s detention.

The court had earlier ordered New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory Warden Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion and medical officer Henry Fabro to personally appear and testify regarding the former House Speaker’s custody.

During the November 5 proceedings, Pacion denied allegations that Romualdez had been secretly transported outside the facility using an ambulance or another vehicle.

She told the court that Romualdez had remained inside his room since his transfer to the detention facility on September 14, occasionally going to a designated open area.

The court also directed the BJMP to review CCTV recordings covering September 14 to November 5 and submit a report detailing Romualdez’s movements within the facility.

Among the documents requested were CCTV access logs, system maintenance records, power interruption reports, vehicle entry and exit logs, and Romualdez’s latest medical records.

The BJMP was ordered to submit the requested documents on Monday, November 9, at 8:30 a.m. Radyo Pilipinas+1

Warden explains Romualdez’s personal staff arrangement

Another issue raised during the proceedings involved Romualdez’s personal staff inside the detention facility.

Pacion acknowledged that she approved the arrangement, explaining that the BJMP could not provide personnel who could attend to the former House Speaker’s needs around the clock.

She also described his mental health condition as unstable.

The arrangement attracted attention because of questions about whether a high-profile detainee was receiving privileges beyond the standard provisions available to other persons deprived of liberty.

However, the warden’s explanation was that the arrangement was intended to provide assistance during his detention. News 5 | Always On+1

Romualdez faces ₱7.44-billion plunder case

Romualdez remains detained in connection with a ₱7.44-billion plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from government flood control and infrastructure projects.

He is facing the charges alongside former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co and other individuals named in the case.

Romualdez has pleaded not guilty to the plunder charge and denied wrongdoing.

The allegations surrounding his detention emerged separately from the corruption case and prompted scrutiny of the BJMP’s handling of his custody. GMA News Online+1

Investigation and court review continue

Tulfo’s admission has significantly changed the controversy, particularly after he acknowledged that the information he shared was incorrect.

Nevertheless, the Sandiganbayan’s request for detention records remains an important part of the proceedings.

The documents could help establish Romualdez’s movements inside the facility, the operation of the CCTV system, and the procedures followed by jail personnel during his detention.

For now, the BJMP’s initial findings and the warden’s testimony do not support the original claims that Romualdez was secretly leaving the facility.

The court’s review of the requested records is expected to provide further information about his detention arrangements.

Sources: News5, DZRH, Radyo Pilipinas, GMA News and Bombo Radyo.