The cult of the Tulfo brothers

Political dynasties are going to win again this coming 2025 midterm elections, then we shall have a Senate filled with Tulfos, namely Senator Raffy, Congressman Erwin and broadcaster Ben. First time in our history and unprecedented in the whole world. This will exacerbate the control of the Cayetanos, Ejercitos/Estradas, Villars, while many regions and provinces remain unrepresented. But what is the philosophy behind the rise of the Tulfos?

The Tulfos is what lawyers would call "sui generis", one of its kind. The three of them include incumbent Senator Raffy, who is popularly called by his followers, admirers and fans "Idol Raffy", Erwin who is currently an incumbent representative and supposedly a Deputy Speaker, and a former DSWD secretary but was not confirmed because of his alleged US citizenship problem.  And, of course, the brother with the biggest voice, Ben Tulfo, popularly known because of his TV and radio program "Bitag".

What makes these three brothers so "senatoriable". They did not rise from the ranks, so to say. They did not run for barangay chairman, mayor, governors, not even councilor or board member. They do not have a defined geographical constituency. They just zoomed into national limelight via the magic of mass media, and especially today, through the many unconventional platforms in the internet and social media. The three brothers represent an emerging phenomenon of a new kind of politics built on the disillusionment of the masses with the mainstream government.

This cult of the Tulfo brothers started in the late seventies and early 80's with their eldest brother, Ramon Tulfo, who started the trend of investigative journalism. He was a hard-hitting columnist of The Inquirer and he impressed many concerned Filipinos about shenanigans in high places. He had strong connections with the military and the entire establishment, maybe because his father was in the military. Mon Tulfo did a number of exposes which turned out to be true and thus he built the Tulfo brand from scratch. Millions of readers have come to admire and look up to his writings as the source of truth and an advocacy.

In a nation where the oppressive, dishonest and exploitative few are ceaselessly ruling over the voiceless, marginalized and exploited majority, feeding the masses with lies, fake news and distorted information, the courageous voices of the Tulfos find use as the beacons of truth and the bastions of courage to stand up and declare what many fear to say. The Tulfos--Raffy, Erwin and Ben-- each found their respective niches in print and broadcast media, in mainstream publications as well as digital platforms to declare the truths, call attention to irregularities, hold officials to account and say to their faces the many reprehensible acts that they have been perpetrating.

The unorthodox rise of the Tulfos is an indictment of the conventional government and the traditional politics and governance that we have always been burdened with for the longest time. The Tulfos represent a new style of government administration: one with a sense of people-orientation, a sense of urgency and a sense of accountability. The Tulfos are products of the emerging technology in mass media and they are able to gain popularity through the new digital communication and information systems. They are the ones who ride most successfully on technology to connect with people.

The Tulfos know the most pressing problems confronting the masses vis-a-vis a government that has deteriorated into excessive inefficiency, ineptitude, lack of concern for people, and with too much corruption from the lowest levels to the highest places of governance and administration. And they are able to find a niche by acting as the bridge, the link and the true ombudsman that gives immediate, fast and inexpensive solutions to long-drawn problems.