“Look around. There are no enemies here. There’s just good, old-fashioned rivalry.” –Bob Wells
It’s no secret resigned Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) chief operating officer Cesar Montano were not in good terms. For instance, when Teo learned the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) invited Montano to grace the 119th Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City on June 4, 2017, she reportedly threatened to cancel the DOT’s $100,000 financial pledge for the festival.
When her alleged threat to cancel the funding leaked to the press, Teo changed her mind.
Parade organizers reportedly received the amount but Teo canceled her trip to New York City.
2017 PIDCI president, Dr. Prospero Lim, confirmed to this writer, in an exclusive interview on May 28, 2017, that Teo “decided to withdraw” from the parade but he did not specify why.
It was Montano who showed up to represent the DOT at the parade. He joined singers Martin Nievera, Lani Misalucha, American Idol 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez, and 2015 Global Pinoy Singing Idol champion Shane Ericks; Miss World-Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigman; and comedian Mikey Bustos.
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During many tourism-related festivals and activities, both in the Philippines and abroad, Teo and Montano reportedly made sure their paths did not cross.
If both Teo and Montano were invited, one would show up and the other wouldn’t.
Although Montano’s office is a DOT-attached agency, the actor would get the same attention as Teo in as far as official invitations to various tourism-related events.
The genesis of the purported feud between Teo and Montano could be traced back to when Teo’s younger brother, Erwin Tulfo, was an ABS-CBN newscaster in 2004.
Montano, who was involved in a spat with several showbiz actresses and martial arts icons, was always the subject of the newsman’s critical commentaries. It was from these tirades that Montano reportedly once challenged Tulfo to a fistfight.
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When Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, he gifted Montano, a native of Bohol, with the coveted TPB post for helping him during the campaign.
TPB is tasked with domestic and international promotions for DOT.
Duterte gave the top DOT post to Teo, the sister of newsmen Ramon, Ben, Raffy, and Erwin Tulfo – who all campaigned for Duterte.
Before Teo was in trouble for the P60 million DOT advertising contract with her brother’s block time TV program aired on PTV-4, it was Montano who was first hit by controversy over alleged corruption and nepotism.
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TPB employees filed a complaint against Montano for entering into allegedly questionable contracts and nepotism.
Submitted to the Presidential Action Center, the complaint listed 30 several alleged misdeeds, such as appointing relatives into positions whose functions were similar to those of incumbent employees, as well as unprofessional behavior.
Among the actor’s alleged malfeasance was the approval of a P11.2-million contract with a production company that had tapped him as a guest performer.
The complainants said Montano also paid the same production firm P16.5 million in connection with a rally for Duterte supporters at Luneta Park in Manila on February 25, 2017 where Montano also performed.
The board also complained about paying for Montano’s trips, which they say were not related to his work as chief operating officer.
The actor denied all the charges against him.
While Duterte refused to fire Montano, a protégé of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr., the president did not hesitate to sack Teo, whose husband, Robert, served as assistant Davao City administrator when Duterte was mayor./WDJ