MANILA - (UPDATED) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said he has no information on whether or not President Rodrigo Duterte fired Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo.

The Philippine Star reported hours earlier that Duterte allegedly asked Teo to hand in her resignation as tourism chief during a one-on-one talk after their Cabinet meeting at Malacañang late Monday.

Roque confirmed that Duterte spoke with Teo one-on-one after the Cabinet meeting.

"Wala po akong ganyang impormasyon kasi siyempre, hindi naman po pupuwedeng manghimasok doon sa naging pribadong usapin nung 2," he told DZMM.

"Iyun lang po ang masasabi ko -- nagkaroon po ng medyo matagal din silang pribadong [pag-uusap]. Medyo matagal po ang usapan nila so umalis na po ako."

(I do not have that information because of course, I cannot intrude on a private conversation. I can only confirm that there was a slightly lengthy private conversation. Their conversation was a bit lengthy so I left.)

Teo's lawyer and spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio, meanwhile, denied that the tourism chief was asked to tender her resignation.

"Ang sabi lang sa kaniya [ni Duterte], ito ang sitwasyon, mayroong ganitong pangyayari at mayroong imbestigasyon si Executive Secretary [Salavdor] Medialdea," he said in a separate DZMM interview.

(Duterte only told her, this is the situation and there is an investigation by Secretary Medialdea)

Teo had described her exchange with the President as "cordial", added Topacio.

Teo earlier said she will not step down after state auditors flagged the alleged lack of contract in her agency's placement of P60 million worth of tourism ads in a television program produced and hosted by her brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo on state-run network PTV-4.

• Tourism dept ordered 'segment buy' on Tulfo brothers' show: COA

The tourism secretary had said there was no conflict of interest in the deal because it was between the Department of Tourism and PTV-4. It was the station's own decision to place the ads in her brothers' show because of high ratings, she said.

The Tulfos will return the ad money "to show their good faith and their good will", Topacio said Monday.

• Tulfos to return P60-M ad money; tourism chief's husband to quit TIEZA

Roque earlier said the recent development will have no bearing on the President’s decision whether to fire the tourism chief or not.

“It's up to the President. The issue is, ‘Is Wanda staying or not ?’ Only the President can decide that kahit ano pa ang gawin nila (whatever they do),” Roque said.

“Ang issue lang naman (The only issue) as far as the President is concerned is whether or not Teo is staying and all these will have no impact on the decision of the President. Whether or not the Ombudsman will charge them, that’s up to the Ombudsman. That’s beyond the power of the President.”

PTV-4 management, for its part, said that its P60-million ad deal was supported by documents, including a contract, certificate of performance, budget request and statement on the completion of deliverables.

The Commission on Audit has asked the management to submit supporting documents.