‘Nakuryente ako’: Ramon Tulfo admits Romualdez jail claim was ‘wrong, fiction’

MANILA — Columnist Ramon Tulfo admitted Thursday that his allegation that former speaker Martin Romualdez could go in and out of jail was based on “wrong information.”

“One of the most embarrassing and humiliating experiences as a journalist is to admit that nakuryente ako. Nakuryente means I was fed the wrong information and accepted it as gospel truth,” Tulfo said in a Facebook post.

“I was fed the wrong report that former speaker Martin Romualdez could go in and out of jail… No such thing happened when the facts started coming in yesterday,” he added.

“It was fiction. I goofed,” Tulfo said.

He said he “should have first checked and cross-checked that report I received on Romualdez.” 

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursdaysaid the government had complete surveillance recordings to disprove Tulfo’s allegation.

“We have all CCTV footages to prove na hindi siya nakakalabas. However, we cannot disclose it in public,” Remulla said. 

“But I invite all of you, samahan niyo ako doon sa BJMP para makita ninyo ‘yung footages to prove na hindi siya nakakalabas at walang out of regulation na ginagawa si Speaker,” he told reporters. 

He stressed that Romualdez remained under medical confinement and was being held in separate quarters. 

Remulla said any accommodation extended to the former House Speaker was limited to what his medical condition required. 

“He does not leave the BJMP. He does not receive visitors outside of the areas. In fact, he receives very little visitors, parang counsel lang at saka family ang pumupunta sa kanya,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Romualdez’s lawyer Ade Fajardo said Tulfo’s admission should serve “as a reminder that allegations, particularly those involving persons facing judicial proceedings, must be verified before they are published or repeated.”

“We appreciate Mr. Tulfo’s willingness to acknowledge his mistake publicly. It takes responsibility to correct an erroneous report, especially after it has gained widespread attention,” Fajardo said in a statement. 

“At the same time, the incident demonstrates the serious harm that can result when unverified information is presented to the public as established fact.”

Still, the Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered the BJMP to review CCTV footage from the time of Romualdez’s commitment to the Quezon City Jail up to Nov. 4 and submit a notarized report detailing his whereabouts based on the recordings.

The court also directed the BJMP to submit the following:

• System status reports and maintenance records of the CCTV system;
• CCTV access logs, including records of any deletion or alteration of footage;
• Records of any power interruptions at the jail facility;
• Vehicle entry and exit logbooks;
• Records on ambulance use;
• The identities of persons allowed to personally assist Romualdez and stay with him throughout his detention;
• Romualdez’s latest medical report; and
• Details of any medical examinations conducted on Romualdez outside the jail facility.

The BJMP was directed to appear before the court on Monday, November 9, to present its findings.