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Escudero defends Tulfo’s appointment: Sen. Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero, during Tuesday’s hearing November 22, 2022 of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on the ad interim appointment of Erwin T. Tulfo as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, reminds the body on the pending bills filed before Congress to decriminalize libel. Escudero cited the pending bills following the issue raised by SAGIP Party List Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta against Tulfo who was convicted of four counts of libel case at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) and upheld by the Court of Appeals. The case has been pending before the Supreme Court. “I would like to state for the record as well that there are many pending bills, both in the House and in the Senate, to decriminalize libel…I myself, I’m an author of a bill seeking to decriminalize libel. So if this will be taken against the nominee and later on that bill is approved by the Congress, I think it will be prejudicial to say the least and unfair if we would be taking that against him,” Escudero said. Tulfo's appointment was deferred by the CA's Committee on Labor, Employment, Social Welfare and Migrant Workers after the body held an executive session on the issues of libel case and citizenship. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)