MANILA, Philippines – Broadcaster Ramon Tulfo plans to amend his complaint against celebrities Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto to attempted homicide, his camp said Wednesday, June 13.

Initially, Tulfo’s camp filed a physical injury and grave coercion case against the Santiago couple, but new evidence supposedly surfaced to allow a more serious charge. The broadcaster and his lawyers said this after appearing before Pasay Regional Trial Court to submit documents for the preliminary investigation.

In an interview with reporters, Tulfo referred to Customs employee Marlon Atengco who supposedly reported a perceived attempt on Tulfo’s life by one of the Santiagos’ companions, a certain Edoardo Atilano.

“Meron kasing sinasabi si Atengco na… habang pinupulot ko na ang aking bag eh pilit na inaagaw ni Atilano ‘yung baril ng isang airport police,” Tulfo told reporters. (Atengco was saying that… while I was picking up my bag, Atilano was trying hard to grab the gun of the airport police.)

Atengco was the same person who took the viral 59-second video on the brawl between Tulfo and the Santiago couple. He was, however, not able to capture on video the supposed attempt to grab the airport policeman’s gun. (Read: Tulfo-Santiago beyond the 59-second video.)

‘Duty’ to testify

Tulfo said Atengco is reluctant to testify in the case, but the broadcaster said to do so is part of Atengco’s duty.

“Civic duty ng bawa’t mamamayan, lalong-lalo na kung ikaw ay nasa gobyerno, na tumestigo sa krimen na nasaksihan mo,” Tulfo explained. (It is the civic duty of every citizen, especially if you are with the government, to testify on a crime that you witnessed.)

Rappler is still trying to reach Atilano, a co-accused in the original case against the Santiago couple, as of posting time.

Tulfo’s camp wants the court the subpoena Atengco, but the Santiago couple’s camp opposes this move. “It’s their responsibility to bring their witnesses,” a lawyer of the Santiago couple, Rose Ann Rosales, told reporters.

The couple did not show up during Wednesday’s preliminary investigation.

Tulfo said his objective is to have the couple jailed. “Hindi lang naman kasi ‘to laban ko. Laban ‘to ng mga taong inapi nila eh,” Tulfo said. (This is not just my battle in the first place. This is the battle of all others whom they mistreated.)

The 65-year-old Tulfo, the son of a soldier and the eldest of 7 boys, explains his concept of justice in the Rappler profile piece, “The Tulfo.” (Watch the video below.)

“The Tulfo male is alpha male. If they say I’ll help you, they will. If they say I’m gonna exact revenge on you, they will do it,” Tulfo said. – Rappler.com