Tulfo brothers appeal QC prosecutor’s ruling

THE TULFO brothers sought yesterday a reinvestigation of the charges filed against them in a Quezon City court as they claimed they were denied the right to defend themselves from the allegations hurled at them by couple Raymart and Claudine Santiago.

In a motion filed in the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court, lawyer Nelson Borja asked the court to defer the issuance of arrest warrants for his clients, Erwin, Raffy and Ben Tulfo. At the same time, he questioned the ruling of the city prosecutor that there was probable cause against the brothers because they failed to submit their counter-affidavits during the preliminary investigation of the grave threats case filed against them by the Santiagos.

Balagtas had recommended the filing of charges against the Tulfos after they allegedly threatened the couple on na- tional TV during their “T3” program on TV- 5, a day after their eldest sibling, Ramon, figured in a scuffle with the Santiagos at the airport.

In his three-page motion, Borja argued that the brothers’ failure to submit their counteraffidavits during the preliminary investigation conducted by Assistant city prosecutor Rowena Balagtas should not result in the denial of their rights.

He claimed that his clients did not receive subpoenas nor were they informed by their program staff of such a proceeding.

According to him, the Tulfos must be accorded due process by being furnished a copy of the complaint and its supporting documents. They should also be allowed to to submit their counter-affidavits in their defense, he added.

The prosecutor had recommended the filing in court of two counts of grave threat each for Erwin and Raffy and one count for Ben.