Senator Raffy Tulfo Reacts to CIDG Handling of Francis Leo Marcos Case
RAFFY TULFO – The arrest of Francis Leo Marcos has sparked debate after Raffy Tulfo publicly questioned how authorities handled the situation.
Senator Raffy Tulfo has questioned the manner in which authorities presented social media personality Francis Leo Marcos, whose real name is Norman Mangusin, to the media following his arrest.
During his program “Wanted sa Radyo” on Thursday, February 26, Tulfo addressed what he had seen circulating on social media regarding the arrest. According to the senator, he received numerous messages from concerned individuals, prompting him to contact the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) to seek clarification about the incident.
Tulfo particularly took issue with how Mangusin was displayed during a press conference after being taken into custody. Although he did not explicitly mention names, the incident had already gone viral online, making it widely recognizable to the public.
“May kayabangan nga siya… kung tutuusin maraming asar sa kanya. Pero, I think it was uncalled for na ginawa ng CIDG na binalandra ang pagmumukha niya, at pinabayaan pa ‘yung complainant na pagmumurahin at insultuhin siya. Eh, samantalang ‘yung kanyang kaso ay unjust vexation lamang na napakababaw,” said Sen. Raffy.
NAPOLCOM Commissioner Rafael Calinisan responded by explaining that while many people believe the case involved only unjust vexation, Mangusin allegedly committed other violations beyond that particular charge.
Still, Tulfo expressed disappointment over the agency’s actions. He pointed out that in the past, there were instances when he himself sought details from the Philippine National Police (PNP) but was denied access.
“Kung gusto ng PNP, ng CIDG [na] mag-presscon at ipangalandakan ang mukha ng suspek na may warrant, sana man lang ‘yung medyo malalim-lalim naman [na kaso]. Sana man lang ‘yung rape, kidnapping, bank robbery. Huwag naman po yung unjust vexation. Kasi ang pagkakaalam ko po, may yumawag sa aking kakilala ko, ito po ay away ng dalawang vlogger na pinatulan ng PNP.
“Enough na ‘yung mahuli natin yung tao at ipalabas sa media na nahuli na. That’s good enough,” Sen. Raffy said.
The senator further emphasized that he does not personally know Mangusin and admitted that he, too, sometimes feels annoyed when seeing the personality on his newsfeed. However, he urged the PNP not to allow itself to be used in what appears to be a dispute between vloggers.
For his part, Calinisan clarified that they also did not approve of the other vlogger’s act of cursing during the press conference and said the individual was instructed to stop. He reiterated that Mangusin is not facing unjust vexation alone but also has other serious pending cases.
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