By Diego Morra
He may not understand that Yiddish term chutzpah (also written as khutspe) but he has lots of it, perhaps fortified by paid surveys that show him on top of the dogpile in the May 2025 senatorial race, thanks to the irrational voters who put premium on popularity rather than solid performance and who believe in gonzo journalism as “public service.”
Yes, your “leading” senatorial candidate Erwin Tulfo y Teshiba, also known as “Erwin Sylvester Tulfo” in the United States until consular officers seized his US passport in 2022 for fraudulently acquiring his US citizenship and violating US immigration laws for three decades has lots of chutzpah. Now, lawyer Virgilio R. Garcia wants to bring him back to earth from his aerie to answer allegations that he, his siblings, wife, sister and other relatives are violating the constitutional ban on political dynasties.
Asked how he got wind of the allegations, Erwin Tulfo claimed he heard if from his barber, a cheap take on “kwentong barbero,” after he did not sign the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio, and was supposed to be in the hustings as the leading (or dealing?) candidate for the Senate under the Marcos Jr. slate. A reading of the snarky remark means that the case is some kind of rumor. Yet, Garcia cites Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the state to “guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law,” as the basis for his complaint.
The provision is supposed to be self-executing but Erwin argues that the intent of the framers of the Constitution wilts since there is no enabling law for that provision. Term limits were imposed by law to restrict dynasties from maintaining unbroken rule in many localities but the law made it possible for orderly succession, from father to mother, to son and daughter and later on the grandchildren, each one restricted to the three-term rule. The way Erwin swaggers, he acts as if he were not affected by the complaint lodged before the Comelec. He isn’t perturbed by questions about his citizenship, which apparently can be acquired and later thrown away for political expediency. Reminds us of the wrong quote attributed to Napoleon: “He who saves his country does not violate any law.” Or the one by Richard Nixon: “When the president does it, that means that is not illegal.”
It is only now that the Comelec will tackle the political dynasty issue, the elephant in the room for the poll body that in search of a law to back up whatever its decision will be. Put to task by Garcia are Erwin, his brother Ben Tulfo, ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Pua-Tulfo, Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo, and Turismo first nominee Wanda Tulfo-Teo, who quit the tourism over the P60-million scandal surrounding an ad contract for the company controlled by Ben and Erwin. Erwin and Ben promised to return the money but reneged on their own promise. Surely, voters would be enlightened to know this episode as proof that there is such a thing as a “word of horror.”
Aside from the clear dynastic politics that rule the Tulfo hearth and home is the question about Erwin Tulfo’s eligibility based on his US citizenship. Tulfo admitted that he became a US citizen in the late 1980s and renounced it in 2022. Erwin did leave the country after yet another episode, when elements of the defunct Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) apprehended and mauled him for reportedly smuggling US dollars to Bangkok. The flap caused him to lose his job at Malaya. Garcia argued that Tulfo became a US citizen by assuming a false identity, as “Erich Sylvester Tulfo.” Supposedly, Erwin worked with the US military under the assumed name, which the US Embassy eventually discovered. For Garcia, fraud is fraud and identity theft for the entirety of his stay in the US is a serious federal offense.
Arguing that he was merely an undocumented immigrant in the US won’t wash. How can he act honorably after admitting that he broke US federal law? Was the scrapping of his US citizenship, which he acquired under false pretenses, and identify theft now lead to his being banned from ever entering the US or any of its territories? Or was the issue formally revealed to the members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) which did not confirm him as secretary of the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD)? Despite the backing of Malacanang, Erwin Tulfo had to leave DSWD, which he wanted to have a fleet of vehicles for faster relief distribution. It also mattered that Erwin clashed with the previous DSWD secretary Rolando Bautista, a former armed forces chief, for the latter’s failure to accede to an interview. Tulfo was forced to apologize, only to be told by Bautista to donate P300,000 to 19 military groups and institutions as a sign of his sincerity.
Malacanang has kept mum on Erwin’s case just as it has been silent on the work of Ramon Tulfo on behalf of Chinese corporations, suggesting at one time that he act as a mediator to settle outstanding issues between the Philippines and Chinese businesses. There may be many clients of the Tulfos lurking around that may need access to the corridors of power, particularly those agencies that pass muster on hundreds of contracts, or a big slice of infrastructure projects. Have they registered as foreign agents as contemplated by Philippine law. Surely, these activities have nothing to do with journalism but have everything to do with press agentry. In short, influence peddling. #
