Ben ‘Bitag’ Tulfo files COC for senator

MANILA, Philippines — Media personality Ben Tulfo formally launched yesterday his senatorial bid by filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2025 national and local elections.

Tulfo, who will be running as an independent candidate, filed his COC at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) without any of his brothers.

After working as a journalist and helping people for more than two decades, Tulfo said he decided to run for public office so he could be part of the solution to the problems besetting the Filipino people.

“They (problems) keep coming back, so we decided to be part of the solution and that’s the reason why we’re here. There’s gonna be change,” Tulfo said.

“There’s a problem in our system. The problems of the people are not being solved,” he added.

With his “Bitag” action center, Tulfo said they were able to work with legislators in drafting several laws, including one that would prevent bank scams.

He was invited to join the senatorial slate of political parties, but Tulfo said the survey showed that it would be better for him to run as an independent candidate.

However, Tulfo revealed there are still offers from political parties to adopt him or to run as their guest candidate.

He added he does not need the permission of his younger brothers to run for public office.

Asked about the possibility of having three Tulfos in the Senate, he said they are brothers so they have the same blood running in their veins – and that is “public service.”

He shut down observations from critics that the Tulfos were forming a political dynasty in the Senate.

“Is it a sin to love our profession? Is that a dynasty? No, it’s not,” he stressed.

He added that what the Tulfo brothers are forming, if he gets elected to the Senate, is a “dynasty of helping people.”

Ben Tulfo and his brother ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo topped the September senatorial survey of Pulse Asia, while Raffy Tulfo is already serving in the Senate.

Whether Ben would vote independently as a senator or “block vote” with his brother depends on whether the issue would be for the greater good of the people.

PMP to endorse reelectionists

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) will not field its own senatorial slate next year, but it will endorse seven reelectionist senators.

PMP concurrent president Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said the PMP is not part of the administration coalition’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.

However, PMP would endorse the reelection bids of Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Ronald Dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino and Lito Lapid, Estrada said.

Revilla, Marcos, Cayetano, Tolentino and Lapid are part of President Marcos’ administration slate.

“They are my colleagues in the present Senate, so I should include them in the PMP line-up. That’s all I can say,” Estrada said in a dwIZ interview.

Matula runs again

To fight for legislated pay hikes and other workers’ agenda, labor leader Sonny Matula is running again in the May 2025 senatorial race.

Matula said his debacle in the past two senatorial elections won’t prevent him from throwing his hat into the political ring.

“The fight of the workers does not stop in one event. We are trying to run again to champion the workers,” Matula proclaimed.

He added that the Senate is now filled with celebrities and political dynasties, thus now is the time to elect a representative for the workers.

With support coming from workers’ organizations and political parties, Matula expressed confidence that he would finally win next year.

According to Matula, he is not competing with other labor leaders running in the Senate and they are supporting each other’s candidacy.

He also said there are discussions for him to run as a guest candidate of one political party.

In the 2022 polls, Matula ran under the coalition party under former vice president Leni Robredo but fell short of getting a seat in the Senate.

If elected into office this time, Matula said he would pursue measures for the right of workers to unionize and draft a law against contractualization.

Meanwhile, Rolando Plaza, popularly known as “Rastaman,” also filed his COC for senator yesterday.

Plaza went viral in the 2019 elections because of his facial tattoos and how he described each of these.

Plaza said he wanted to run in the 2022 presidential elections, but the Comelec rejected his COC.

According to Plaza, he would push for the return of e-sabong, which he described as sariling atin compared to POGOs.