Raffy Tulfo

Rafael Teshiba Tulfo^[3] was born in Quezon City on March 12, 1960.^[11] He is the son of Ramon Tulfo Sr., a colonel in the Philippine Constabulary,^[12] and Caridad Teshiba-Tulfo, a housewife. He is the eighth out of ten siblings which includes broadcasters Ramon, Ben, and Erwin as well as former tourism secretary Wanda Corazon Teo.^[13][14] Tulfo would describe his family as middle class.^[15]

A college dropout, Tulfo spent four years in different universities and studied several majors including economics, political science, agribusiness and commerce but did not finish a degree before becoming a journalist.^[16]

Tulfo is associated with TV5.^[17] Although he would start his broadcasting career with the People's Television Network (PTV).^[18]

Tulfo's first television program was Philippines' Most Wanted which aired from 1995 to 2002. He co-hosted it with Nina Taduran. The program was produced by his uncle and aunt. It was with Most Wanted when Tulfo began to be referred to as "idol".^[15]

He would be known for the radio broadcast program Wanted sa Radyo^[18] as well in YouTube for Raffy Tulfo in Action (RTIA).^[19]

Tulfo would endorse the ACT-CIS Partylist for the 2019 House of Representatives elections, with the organization managing to garner three seats in the lower house. He himself on August 2019, has initially stated that he had no plans to enter politics as a candidate in the 2022 elections insisting that he is satisfied in his current situation and would focus on "public service".^[17]

On October 2, 2021, Tulfo would change his mind and filed his certificate of candidacy for senator as an independent candidate for the 2022 senatorial election.^[20] On February 8, 2022, he joined the senatorial slate of presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao.^[21] Tulfo finished in third place, receiving 23,396,954 votes, and was proclaimed as Senator on May 18, 2022.^[9] Tulfo was later elected as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy.^[10]

Senate of the Philippines (2022–present)

At the start of the 19th Congress in July 2022, Tulfo filed his priority bills which include protecting Filipino workers from abusive employers and providing discounts for poor job applicants. He also filed a bill amending the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act to protect all family members from violence.^[22] Amid rising electricity rates in Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines in August 2022, Tulfo called for a Senate investigation into the rotational blackouts in the country and filed a Senate resolution seeking to avert the imminent energy crisis.^[23]

In 2023, Tulfo filed a bill legalizing and regulating the underground importation of ukay-ukay second-hand products which already evolved as part of Filipino culture.^[24] He later filed a bill mandating all providers of critical infrastructure services such as power generation and distribution, water supply, healthcare, transportation, communications, and financial services to respond within two hours from the time of emergency service requests.^[25] He also filed a bill establishing security monitoring systems such as CCTV cameras in all prison cells to ensure the safety of inmates and prison personnel.^[26] Between February and April, Tulfo filed Senate resolutions seeking to probe reports of bullying within the hospital hierarchy,^[27] investigate reported delays of the Social Security System in processing retirement and death claims of its members,^[28] conduct an inquiry into reported inhumane treatment of patients and possible corruption at the National Center for Mental Health,^[29] and investigate "arrogant and condescending" government employees which he says are creating "an atmosphere of fear and mistrust" in government institutions.^[30] Amid several power outages in Luzon and growing tension between the Philippines and China in May 2023, Tulfo filed a senate resolution investigating the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to verify if it poses a threat to national security for being 40 percent owned by the State Grid Corporation of China.^[31]

Potential 2028 presidential bid

In regards to a potential 2028 presidential bid, Tulfo's brother Erwin in April 2024 insist that Raffy does not want to run for the position.^[32] Raffy Tulfo would affirm the lack of interest, requesting survey organizations to "exclude his name" in opinion polls for the upcoming vote and people to support the incumbent administration of President Bongbong Marcos out of courtesy.^[33]

From 1996 to 1999, Tulfo wrote a series of articles in his Abante Tonite column alleging anomalous and illegal activities by officials of the Bureau of Customs. Tulfo, together with publisher Allen Macasaet and managing editor Nicolas Quijano Jr., were charged with libel by customs lawyer Carlos So on April 12, 1999.^[34] On February 28, 2005, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court found Tulfo, Macasaet and Quiano guilty of 14 counts of libel and were sentenced to up to 32 years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of ₱14,700,000 total.^[35][36] On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court acquitted Tulfo of the libel charges.^[37][38]

On March 24, 2004, Tulfo published an article in his Abante Tonite column accusing businessman Michael Guy of seeking help from former finance secretary Juanita Amatong to halt a tax fraud investigation by the Department of Finance’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS). The claim was proven false, however, as the RIPS only investigates government officials and did not have jurisdiction over Guy.^[39] On February 24, 2010, the Makati Regional Trial Court convicted Tulfo and seven representatives from Abante's publisher of libel and were ordered to pay a total of ₱10,211,200 to Michael Guy for damages and attorney's fees.^[39] In July 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and increased the amount of damages needed to be paid.^[40][41]

In January 2007, Tulfo and his brothers Ramon and Erwin, each posted bail after a Quezon City Regional Trial Court judge issued warrants for their arrests following a libel complaint by then-first gentleman Mike Arroyo.^[42] The brothers had previously accused Arroyo of using his influence to force the government-sequestered station RPN to cancel their investigative news program Isumbong Mo! (Tulfo Brothers).^[43] On July 16, 2007, the libel case against the brothers was dismissed.^[44]

In June 2014, Tulfo again posted bail for an arrest warrant issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court after Senior Police Officer III Abubakhar Manlangit filed a libel case against him and his brother Erwin.^[45] The policeman, who appeared in a November 15, 2011, episode of T3, also filed an MTRCB complaint against the brothers after being called a "thief" on air which contributed to a 20-day suspension of the program.^[46]

On April 18, 2022, Tulfo's Senate bid faced a disqualification case due his conviction for the crime of libel.^[47]

In 2023, the Daily Tribune reported that Raffy Tulfo has been a product endorser of the 1UP brand by Superbreakthrough Enterprises, a company which the Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a cease and desist order for illegally soliciting investments.^[48] Tulfo's camp has reasoned that his endorsement is on assuring the quality of 1UP products rather than the operations of Superbreakthrough.^[49]

Tulfo is married to Jocelyn Pua, the incumbent representative for ACT-CIS Partylist since 1993. They had two wedding ceremonies – at the Office of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Luna, Isabela on June 24, 1993, and at the Little Quiapo restaurant in Quezon City on January 20, 1995. Together, they have two children and one grandson.^[50] His daughter Maricel (born 1992) also hosts his programs Wanted sa Radyo and Idol in Action. His son Ralph Wendell (born 1996) is the incumbent representative of the 2nd district of Quezon City since 2022.

Julieta Nacpil Licup claimed that she and Tulfo married on October 25, 1982, at a civil wedding in Capas, Tarlac with supporting evidence and they have one daughter named Grendy, born in 1984. In addition, Julieta also claimed that Tulfo left her when she was five months pregnant with their child because of a misunderstanding. Because they were not able to communicate with each other thereafter in 1984, Julieta thought that Tulfo was dead and filed paperwork within the Philippine courts with evidence of her attempts at finding him. The courts approved her petition to his presumptive death and she was able to remarry an American in 1992. As a result, Tulfo was sued for bigamy on June 10, 2019, as their marriage was not annulled.^[51][52] She also claimed that Tulfo also married another woman named Celedonia Amos in the United States in 1985.^[1] He also faced a disqualification case before Commission on Elections given those claims of his past marriages, but was later junked by the Commission's 2nd division because it "does not pertain to his qualification for elective office."^[2][53]

Television

Radio

• Raffy Tulfo in Action on Facebook
• Raffy Tulfo in Action's channel on YouTube