(UPDATE 2) A case of bad timing and misunderstanding led to a fistfight between newspaper columnist Mon Tulfo and actor Raymart Santiago on Sunday, May 6 at NAIA-3.
According to reports, the skirmish started when Claudine reprimanded a Cebu Pacific flight attendant about her missing luggage. Then, she spotted a man taking a video of what was going on.
What the Santiagos said
Raymart confronted the man, who turned out to be Tulfo. Raymart reported that when he approached Tulfo to confront him, the columnist retaliated by punching him.
In a TV Patrol report hours after the incident happened, Claudine claimed Tulfo tried to threaten them.
“'Hindi niyo kilala ang kinakalaban niyo, matakot kayo,’” she recalled what Tulfo allegedly told her and Raymart.
She added that Tulfo kicked her twice and pushed her to the counter.
Tulfo: Claudine’s bruise was an accident
A bruised and swollen Tulfo, on the other hand, told TV Patrol it was Raymart who hit him first.
“Gusto niyang kunin yung cellphone ko,” Tulfo explained.
Raymart denied this.
“Ni hindi ko nahawakan camera niya,” he said.
Tulfo claimed he was simply defending himself since Raymart’s companion attacked him.
“May sumakal na sa 'kin,” Tulfo revealed.
He maintains that he did not intend to kick Claudine and claimed the incident happened while he was struggling with Raymart and his companion.
Tulfo took a photo and not a video of Claudine allegedly cursing the airport staff.
The Santiago couple and their children arrived from Boracay while Tulfo came from Davao.
As of posting time, authorities are still waiting for a report from the Cebu Pacific’s complaints desk, where the incident happened.