MON TULFO: RAYMART'S GROUP GANGED UP
ON ME / RAYMART'S
STORY
[PHOTO - Raymart Santiago
and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo. INQUIRER/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOS]
MANILA,
MAY 11, 2012
(INQUIRER) By: Miko Morelos - At least
seven men, including actor Raymart Santiago, ganged up on veteran TV host and
Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo on Sunday afternoon when he took photos of
Santiago's wife, multi-awarded actress Claudine Baretto, "berating" a ground
steward over a mishandled luggage.
Tulfo said he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
Terminal 3 from Davao via a Cebu Pacific flight when he noticed a woman giving a
ground staff of the budget airline a vicious dressing down.
"The ground stewardess was on the verge of tears," Tulfo told the Philippine
Daily Inquirer over the phone, recalling what caught his attention before the
beating he received.
He said he initially sympathized with the woman after learning from onlookers
she had been complaining of "an offloaded luggage," which had been a subject of
critical columns he wrote before. He did not recognize the woman as Baretto
until he walked toward the airline's complaints desk.
Tulfo pulled out his mobile phone and took photos of the scene, which he said
would form part of a future column he intended to write, when a man from the
actress' group approached him.
The man, whom he later recognized as Baretto's husband, Raymart Santiago,
"demanded to get my phone which I used in taking shots," the columnist said,
adding he refused to surrender his phone.
Santiago continued to force Tulfo to give his phone to the actor when the
latter's companions came to his side, according to the columnist. Tulfo said he
could not recall who threw the first punch because he was ganged up on.
He said he was hit at his blindside as the punches kept coming.
While trying to fight his way out, Tulfo said Baretto, who was nearby,
repeatedly cursed him. He admitted that he might have hit the woman with a kick
as he tried to fight back at his aggressors.
"This is the real persona of an actress who is always portrayed (in the
movies) as a martyr," he continued, as he pitied the ground staff of Cebu
Pacific whom Baretto allegedly berated.
Tulfo said Baretto continued "cussing" him when they met for the second time
at the airport police station. "I could only give her a smile as she fumed at
me."
At the same time, Tulfo denounced the NAIA security personnel and the airport
police for failing to restrain Baretto's party as they were restoring order in
the area.
He said he already submitted himself to the authorities when they arrived and
as they were sorting things out, "somebody lunged behind me and grabbed me by
the neck." The choking lasted a couple of seconds, and Tulfo said he could have
passed out if it happened a few moments longer.
The police were preparing the paperwork for the charges Tulfo would be filing
against the Santiago couple.
Originally posted at 01:43 pm | Sunday, May 06, 2012
Raymart, Claudine file countercharges vs Mon Tulfo
By Miko Morelos Philippine Daily Inquirer
Show biz couple Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto Wednesday slapped
Inquirer columnist and radio host Ramon Tulfo with countercharges of physical
injuries and child abuse in the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office over the brawl at
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 on Sunday.
Santiago did most of the talking as his wife kept her silence, upon advice of
their counsel, Alex Avisado. The lawyer said the couple were still contemplating
whether to press another set of charges against Tulfo's brothers, who issued
threats against them on television.
The actor told reporters how his family was doing, especially their children
Sabina and Santino, who he said would undergo psychiatric evaluation to
determine whether they suffered emotionally as a result of the attack.
In the couple's complaint, they told their version of the events that led to
the one-sided brawl, a video of which went viral.
Contrary to Tulfo's claim that only Barretto had complained at Cebu Pacific's
passenger assistance desk, the couple said "we [the Santiagos] lodged our
complaint."
Raymart's story
While talking with the ground staff, they "noticed a man taking photos of
Claudine using his cellular phone."
Santiago approached the man and asked what he was doing.
"In response, the man sarcastically smiled and without any provocation, threw
several punches and kicked Raymart," the complaint said. "Raymart instinctively
fought back and tried to defend himself, but was immediately restrained and
pacified by several airport security personnel."
After both men were separated, Barretto went to the man to ask him "why he
hit Raymart." She was pushed and kicked by Tulfo, "the strong force caus[ing]
Claudine to ram against the counter" and sustained abrasions and bruises.
Raymart came to the rescue of his wife, whom he described to be "on the
receiving end of this man's senseless violence." A certain Edoardo Benjamin
Atilano also rushed to Raymart's side.
They said they only came to know that the man was Tulfo when they saw each
other again at the airport police station.
The couple said their children apparently suffered from psychological and
emotional trauma, with both of them not wanting to be left by their parents
"fear[ing] that a 'bad man' would again hurt us."
Commenting on the purported apology aired by Erwin Tulfo on radio, Santiago
said that he did not personally hear about it and that from what he learned, the
apology was "directed to the public."
"I could have let this slip away, the punches and the kicks to me. I could
forget it," he said.
"But hitting my wife," Santiago said, pausing briefly to gather his composure
as he appeared to be overcome with emotion. "That I will never let pass."
'First part' of brawl?
Santiago appealed to potential witnesses at the airport who might have
recorded the "first part" of the brawl, which was their account of events. He
said the viral video on YouTube and other video-sharing websites was merely "the
second part."
For his part, Avisado said the couple were still mulling whether to sue
Tulfo's younger brothers—Erwin, Raffy and Ben. But when Santiago was asked about
it, he answered in the affirmative.
The actor said his family's routine had been changed after the threats
against him and his wife. He said he had sought security assistance from the
Philippine National Police.
"Before this, I went out by myself. I jogged by myself," Santiago said. "But
now, I have to leave the house with companions."
He said that some of his neighbors had told his family that they had noticed
vans roaming around their house in Quezon City.
Asked to elaborate on his claim, Santiago looked at his lawyer before saying
he would reveal more details "in due time."
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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