TPB Chief Cesar Montano blames former DOT Secretary Wanda Teo on the ‘Buhay Carinderia’ controversy.
Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Cesar Montano was recently involved in a controversy in the agency due to ‘Buhay Carinderia’ project.
After the alleged anomaly in the Department of Tourism (DOT) was exposed to the public, Montano is now blaming former Secretary Wanda Teo on the controversy.
According to a report published in MSN, the actor turned government official claimed that Teo was the one who was behind the payment of 80 million pesos to Erlinda Legaspi, the owner of Marketing agency Marylindbert International.
“The TPB extended our reservation. We informed Secretary Teo that the disbursement was too fast and we didn’t need to pay them immediately,” the TPB Chief said.
Montano also said that Teo personally knows Legaspi. He added that it was the former DOT Secretary who referred funding for ‘Bahay Carinderia’ project.
The TPB head also said that Teo introduced Legaspi to him as her friend.
He also stated that he was not in the position to question the payments that the DOT was giving to Legaspi because Teo was the boss.
The actor/government official said that the project received approval from the TPB without undergoing through a public bidding because it was said that Legaspi wanted financial sponsorship.
“The financial sponsorship has long been in practice… this is aboveboard so no one among us benefited from it, including me,” Montano said.
(Read also: Cesar Montano Allegedly Left Tourism Event To Watch Musical Play)
Formerly, the ‘Buhay Carinderia’ project was tagged as ‘Carinderia Fiesta’ and this was started by Legaspi back in 2011. It was only in March this year when the Tourism Promotions Board sponsored it.
Based on a report, newly assigned DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat suspended the said project for Commission on Audit review.