Meteoric rise of Tulfo brothers

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Or, at least, that’s the case for an emerging political superpower in the Philippines. After months of anticipation, the Marcos administration flexed its coalition-building muscle by announcing its much-vaunted Senate slate for next year’s elections. In many ways, it represented a ‘grand coalition’ not only among major political parties, but also among the leading political dynasties and public figures. As expected, the Binays (Abby), Cayetanos (Pia), and Villars (Camille) were represented.

And, not to mention, the presidential sister (Imee) who, quite predictably, made some fuss about her inclusion in the slate, especially given her more “independent” streak and, crucially, intimate ties with her brother’s bête noire, the Duterte dynasty. And then came the slew of celebrities, most notably global boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, former matinee idols Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid, and former Senate president Tito Sotto.

To solidify the slate, it included two supposed pillars of law and order, namely former police chief Panfilo Lacson as well as current interior and local government secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. The inclusion of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s political affairs secretary, Francis Tolentino, made the slate curiously, well, “inclusive.” Perhaps, a reward for the re-electionist senator’s 180 degrees’ rhetorical shift on the West Philippine Sea dispute since the departure of his former patron, who was unabashedly slavish and subservient toward China?

The most important figure in the slate, however, is Erwin Tulfo, who has consistently topped all authoritative surveys on senatorial candidates ahead of the 2025 elections. Astonishingly, the greatest threat to his ranking is his even more feisty brother, Ben, who is statistically tied with him for the top position in the latest OCTA Research survey. Meanwhile, their brother, Raffy, who almost topped the Senate race back in 2022, is now the favorite to become the next Philippine president based on early (very early!) pre-2028 elections surveys.

So, dear reader, what on earth is going on? More than a decade ago, my perspicacious friend, professor Lisandro Claudio of the University of Berkley, penned a curiously illuminating column, titled: “The Tulfo Bros: Hecklers or Heroes?” By now, I think it’s crystal clear that the Tulfo brothers have managed to successfully leverage their well-crafted heckler status to become the ultimate political heroes.

For the first time in Philippine history, the country’s august chamber would almost certainly feature three members of a single family next year. And one of them will likely remain as a favorite to take over Malacañang a few years later. When it comes to the meteoric political rise of the Tulfos, three elements stand out.

First, it’s all about political branding. The individual traits of the siblings—Erwin as the softspoken one, Raffy as the more statesmanlike, and Ben as the more edgy and gritty—seem to make little difference to voters. Second, the Tulfos are the latest iteration of “penal populism,” namely ordinary folks’ desperate yearning for personalistic solutions to systematic gaps in our broken judicial system.

If Rodrigo Duterte represented a bloody, vigilante-style “solution” to the country’s “law and order” crises, the Tulfos represent a macho and heckler-style approach that relies on dramatic confrontation with the (alleged or real) source of injustice.

If Duterte seemed impressive to his base by directly threatening drug kingpins and Western leaders, the Tulfos exude “heroism” by directly taking on powerful authorities and abusive employers accused of oppressing ordinary Filipinos. If Duterte’s method was primarily deadly and extrajudicial, the Tulfos’ is more theatrical and hyper-judicial, namely, shaming law enforcers and courts to expedite the case of ignored and marginalized citizens. Both Dutertismo and Tulfoismo are clearly controversial and far from ideal, but the latter is far less threatening to our constitutional order.

Ultimately, the Tulfo brothers’ astonishing political success was built on the ashes of the House of Duterte. Not long ago, embattled Vice President Sara Duterte, who is suffering declining approval ratings and could even face impeachment, boasted about three potential Dutertes vying for Senate positions next year. Latest surveys show that barely a single member of the Duterte family might make it to the Senate. In many ways, it looks like the Tulfos are picking up the pro-Duterte populist constituency, paving the way for a new era of populist politics in the Philippines.

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rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph