By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Holding back his tears, House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo admitted that he was once a “tago nang tago” (TNT) Filipino in the United States for 20 long years in order to help his family.
“Kung pagiging TNT ko ho, kung pagiging undocumented alien ko po eh bawal po ako magsilbi, bawal na po ako magtrabaho sa ating bayan, na ginawa ko lang naman ‘yon para mapakain ‘yung mga anak ko […] eh kung kasalanan ho ‘yon sa tingin ninyo, then guilty po ako,” an emotional Tulfo said during his radio program Punto Asintado on Monday (January 6, 2025).
The hard-hitting journalist and lawmaker raised suspicions that the issue of his being a TNT is now being spread by paid hacks because he has consistently ranked at the top of surveys for the 2025 senatorial race.
A Pulse Asia survey released in October 2024 showed Tulfo, along with nine other candidates from the administration ticket, entering the Magic 12.
Meanwhile, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed similar results, with 10 out of the top 12 spots occupied by administration stalwarts, including Tulfo.
“Ngayon, kine-kwestyon ako ng ilang mga vlogger […]. Sabi, ‘May karapatan pa ba yan (na) tumakbo bilang senador, bilang mataas na opisyal ng bayan natin? Walang kredibilidad. Walang integridad?’” Tulfo fumed.
It is worth noting that during the holiday season, letters supposedly from the US Embassy in the Philippines circulated on social media, claiming that Tulfo’s US passport had been revoked.
Dated October 11, 2022, the letter stated that the US government had revoked the passport of a certain Erick Sylvester Tulfo, believing him to be Rep. Erwin Tulfo.
“Eh bakit mo tinago for 20 years? Hindi po ipinangangalandakan ng mga ‘ika nga undocumented alien, ng mga TNT, pero hindi ko rin ikinahihiya na once upon a time, nag-TNT ako, na once upon a time, illegal alien ako,” Tulfo stressed.
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