Malacañang Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Friday urged individuals who spread false information to follow veteran journalist and columnist Ramon Tulfo’s example of publicly admitting mistakes and correcting inaccurate reports.
During a press briefing on November 6, Castro praised Tulfo for acknowledging that he had been misled by an informant and for admitting that he failed to verify the information before publishing it.
“Sana maging modelo si Mr. Ramon Tulfo ng iba pa na sanay na sanay mag-fake news,” Castro said.
She noted that Tulfo had received information from sources but commended him for taking responsibility after discovering that the claims were false.
“Kung nakuryente siya at inamin niya, napaka-professional ang kanyang gesture,” Castro said.
She also challenged other individuals who have spread misinformation about the government and its officials to acknowledge their mistakes rather than become defensive when their reports are questioned.
“Sana sa lahat din ng nakukuryente at nagpa-fake news sa gobyerno at sa iba mga liderato natin, dapat umamin na sila'y mali. Minsan kasi sila pa yung matapang kapag pinupuna mo na mali,” she added.
The controversy stemmed from Tulfo’s earlier social media post alleging that Romualdez was secretly leaving and returning to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas aboard an ambulance, supposedly with the help of staged power interruptions to prevent CCTV cameras from recording his movements.
Tulfo later apologized on November 5, admitting that he had accepted the information from his source without properly verifying it.
“I goofed. No excuses. I should have first checked and cross-checked that report I received on Romualdez,” Tulfo said in his Facebook post.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) earlier ordered an investigation into the allegations, with its initial CCTV verification showing no recorded power or camera interruptions and no unauthorized movement by Romualdez outside the detention facility during the period examined.
During a November 5 hearing before the Sandiganbayan Third Division, Quezon City Jail warden Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion also categorically denied that Romualdez had left the facility aboard an ambulance or any other vehicle since his commitment to detention.
However, the court ordered the BJMP to review CCTV footage covering Romualdez's entire period of detention and submit a notarized report on his whereabouts, along with other relevant records. The agency was directed to appear before the court on November 9.
Romualdez is currently detained over a non-bailable plunder charge involving ₱7.44 billion in alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
