Raffy: The ‘other Tulfo’ is also a crime fighter - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

Before Katapat (hosted by Fred Lim on ABS-CBN) and Kasangga (hosted by Rudy Fernandez – now "on leave," with wife Lorna Tolentino pinch-hiting for him – on GMA), there was Philippines’ Most Wanted, hosted by Raffy Tulfo since 1996 and initially telecast on PTV 4 but has moved three episodes ago to ABC Channel 5 (Wednesday nights, 10:30 to 11:30).

Maybe because, admittedly, Raffy is not as well-known (yet) as Fred Lim and Rudy, everybody who watches Most Wanted for the first time thinks it was patterned after Katapat/Kasangga when in fact it’s the original, coming three years ahead of Katapat and four years ahead of Kasangga.

"Actually," said Raffy, one of the macho Tulfo brothers now on television (the others are Mon who used to host Isumbong Kay Tulfo on RPN 9 and a hard-hitting, fearless columnist of Bulletin; Erwin who used to host the ABS-CBN newscast and is now the anchor of ANC Channel 21’s weekend news and ABS-CBN’s Hoy Gising, with Aiko Melendez lookalike Connie Sison; and Ben who’s with GMA’s Saksi and DZME), "my show is inspired by the popular US TV show Most Wanted which I watched avidly when I stayed in California for eight years."

Like Katapat and Kasangga, Most Wanted also dramatizes crime stories with the objective of helping the police solve crimes and pin down the suspects. So far, according to Raffy, Most Wanted has been instrumental in the arrest of 68 fugitives and notorious criminals. The show’s team of reporters and researchers work closely with the police, the NBI and the PAOCTF.

Isn’t it a highly-risky job?

"Oh, it definitely is," admitted Raffy who, like (especially his kuya) Mon, has been getting death threats which he has learned to simply shrug off as part of the hazards of the job. "They come with the territory," added Raffy, married to Jocelyn with whom he has two children, Maricel (8) and Ralph (4).

Raffy got his very first death threat (his "baptism of fire," so to speak) a few years ago when Most Wanted featured the case of Danny Hernandez, the journalist whose killing has remained unsolved until this day.

"The dire message was sent through my pager," recalled Raffy. "It read: ‘Malapit na kayo magkita ni Danny Hernandez.’ In the next few days, the message-sender started a countdown na, first saying I only had 48 hours left and then 36 and then 24. When only 12 hours were left, I informed Mon (his brother) about it and alerted the police. I didn’t want to take chances. I had my (licensed) gun ready, I locked my doors, cautioned my family to be very careful and waited. The countdown over, wala namang nangyari. The messages stopped coming. Come to think of it," continued Raffy who refused to reveal how many bodyguards he had, "it’s better if you get death threats so you can prepare. Now, I become more worried and concerned when all is quiet. Nagiisip ako."

One of 10 children (seven guys and three girls), Raffy finished a course in Political Science at Ateneo de Davao in Davao City where the Tulfos were born and grew up (their mom is from Davao and their dad, who was with the military, from Ilocos Sur). He started as an FM-radio deejay, until he moved to California in the early ’80s, working as manager of a Pizza Hut outlet often victimized by Black holdup men.

"I was helpless the first time a holdup happened. But the second time, I was prepared. I just came out of the outlet one night carrying a bag of money (the day’s earnings) when a Black man approached me, asking what time it was. I sensed that it was a holdup, so I told him, ‘Stay back!’ I closed the car door but he fired at me, hitting the windshield; I was unhurt. I shot it out with him, pero neither of us was hit. But if a similar incident happens today," smiled Raffy who’s now a sharpshooter, "I’m sure may tama ang kalaban ko."

Besides the influence on him (and his brothers) by the older Tulfo (a crime fighter), what Raffy saw with his own eyes in the US convinced him to embark on a crime fighting/preventing career (it is, isn’t it?), such as when he’d watch helpless as Blacks (mostly) roughed up innocent kababayan.

"There," said Raffy, "I couldn’t do anything. But here, I could. I can make a difference. I can help the police, the NGOs, the VACC (Victims Against Crime and Corruption) led by Dante Jimenez. I wanted to do more than just play music on FM-radio," added Raffy who also writes a column for Abante. "So when Mon asked me to come home, I didn’t hesitate. It was Mon who paved the way for me to television."

Produced by Raffy himself and his wife, Most Wanted (co-hosted by Nina Taduran-So) has four segments: The Main Story which dramatizes a crime story, Alagad ng Batas which shows actual footages on law enforcers’ operations, Most Wanted/Crime Scan which lists the country’s most wanted criminals and Sumbong at Aksiyon (hosted by Taduran-So).

(Note: If you have any tip for Raffy, call 932-53-10 or 932-56-69).

Aikido for ‘action’ fans

Showing starting today in Metro theaters is Total Aikido (released by Solar Films) which is co-directed by Jerry Tirazona and Jacky Woo who also stars in the movie with local talents John Regala and Aya Medel. The producer is Takenari Fukyoka who flew in from Japan to supervise the filming in Cebu of Total Aikido 2, also with Woo as male lead.

Although the name Jacky Woo doesn’t ring bells hereabouts (yet), the guy is popular in Japan where he’s known as that country’s counterpart of Hong Kong’s (and now Hollywood’s) Jacky Chan. Out there, however, Jacky Woo, who’s half-Chinese and half-Japanese, is known more as a producer (movies, TV shows and records) than as an actor.

"Total Aikido is Jacky’s debut as an actor," Fukyoka told Funfare in a brief interview, "that’s why it’s big news in Japan where his fans are happy that he’s now an actor. Jacky is talented and handsome, so he should be before and not only behind the cameras. He’s also a good singer; he sings the movie’s theme song, Distance and Time and Friendship, which he himself has composed."

Aikido, according to Fukyoka, is a no-offense form of self-defense from which originated the philosophy of all kinds of martial arts. "It has no ‘offense’ moves. Aikido is more about how to control one’s mind and spirit."

The concept of the movie came from Jacky Woo who did a variation of Aikido, which he called Dance Shoot (for want of a better name), this time with new martial arts techniques and sharp "offense" movements.

"Jacky and I wanted to find a Filipino martial artist who could be trained on Aikido," said Fukyoka, "but after two weeks, we couldn’t find anyone who could do exactly what we wanted. John (Regala) suggested that Jacky Woo himself should do it and I said, ‘Why not?’ See the movie and find out how good he is."

Fukyoka decided to do the movie here because he said he had heard so much about the Philippines being an ideal place for shooting (principal photography of Aikido was completed in one month and a half).

"Several Hollywood movies were shot here," he enumerated, "such as Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and Apocalypse Now. So we came."

Besides Total Aikido 2, Fukyoka and company plan to do one more movie here.