[ANALYSIS] Explaining the power of the Tulfo brand

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MANILA, Philippines – Similar to when Coca-Cola gave us Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Coca-Cola light, and other sub-brands, Filipinos will soon have three Tulfos in the Senate and possibly two more in the House of Representatives. 

If recent pre-election surveys hold until election day on May 12, the Philippines will see what will go down in history as the most successful political product line extensions: the impending Senate victories of brothers Erwin and Ben Tulfo.

In corporate brand marketing, a famous product line extension is that of Coca-Cola, which launched Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and Coca-Cola Light in addition to its Coca-Cola Classic or Original.

Erwin will be the second and Ben the third sibling extension in the upper house. They will join incumbent Senator Raffy Tulfo, marking the first time that three siblings will serve concurrently in the upper house. (In the whole Congress, there will likely be five with Raffy’s wife, ACT-CIS Representative Jocelyn Tulfo, serving another term, and their son, Quezon City 2nd District Representative Ralph Tulfo, getting reelected.) Sister Wanda’s bid for a congressional seat under Turismo Partylist isn’t looking good, however, based on pre-election surveys on the party-list election.

Raffy, Erwin, Ben, Wanda are four of 10 children of the late Philippine Constabulary Lieutenant Ramon S. Tulfo and their “mestiza Japanese mom” Caridad Alvar Teshiba. Their six other siblings are: journalist Ramon “Mon” Jr., Felix, Tuchie, Bong, Joseph, and Edelle Marie. 

What’s unique about the Tulfo brand is that the siblings aren’t really much different from each other. Most commercial product line extensions cater to different markets. In the case of Coca Cola, diet Coke and Coke Zero are directed at weight watchers.

The Tulfos, however, offer essentially the same product. After all, all three are journalists. They started from traditional media — television and radio — and then strengthened their media presence with the rise of Facebook (FB) and now TikTok. 

Raffy Tulfo in Action Facebook has 21 million followers; Erwin Tulfo has 5 million FB followers; Ben Bitag Tulfo has 512,000 FB followers — for a combined 26.5 million for the three siblings. Add to that 1.1 million for their party-list group ACT-CIS. 

On Tiktok, which appeals to younger voters, Raffy Tulfo in Action has 5.5 million followers; Erwin Tulfo has 160k followers, and Ben “Bitag” Tulfo has 180k followers. 

Similar to successfully launched commercial product lines, the extension from Raffy or T1 to T2 (Erwin) and T3 (Ben) has enabled the Tulfos to reach a bigger national market. Erwin and Ben have so far been a “brand fit” that enhances the power of the Tulfo brand.

They’ve endeared themselves to the public for being madaling lapitan (approachable) and warm when engaging with followers. They have all projected the image of being a strong leader, vowing to defend the abused and underprivileged. As Ben said in a social media post on October 5, 2024, “Isang dugo lang ang dumadaloy sa aming magkapatid, ang pagtulong sa kapwa.” (We only have one blood running in us — to help our fellowmen.)

The Tulfo brand has been described as “vigilante journalism.” Via their media platforms, they connect the aggrieved with authorities to help swiftly resolve issues and concerns, making the attainment of justice and aid faster than the bureaucratic process.

All of them operate help desks manned by staff that entertain complaints about abusive employers, fraudsters, and the like, as well as requests for financial and medical assistance. They have their own media programs that project the service they provide, such as Raffy Tulfo In Action/Wanted sa Radyo, Tutok Tulfo, and Bitag Live/Kilos Pronto. They also pay close attention to problems of overseas Filipino workers, a key voter constituency.

‘May magagawa para sa ‘yo’

“It’s a brand that says, ‘We help you directly, individually. Take your case to us, meron kaming magagawa para sa ’yo, (we can do something for you) — like that,” said Social Weather Stations (SWS) founder and chair emeritus Mahar Mangahas when asked about his opinion on the Tulfo brand, in a Rappler+ briefing on April 30, Wednesday. “Direct assistance, pinapakinggan kami (they listen to us), which is from their long radio and TV background.” 

Mangahas said voter preference for this kind of leader and path to leadership is not new, citing the case of the late lawyer and senator Rene Cayetano, who became well-known post-1986 through his free legal aid program on ABS-CBN radio and television, Compañero y Compañera, in the ’90s. Two of his children, Senator Alan Peter and reelectionist Senator Pia, have continued this political brand.

Other lawyers who successfully leveraged then-ABS-CBN’s broadcast power were incumbent Senate President Chiz Escudero and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan, who also gave free legal aid via ABS-CBN’s radio shows. Ditto for successful broadcasters-turned-politicians Loren Legarda and Noli de Castro of ABS-CBN.

Differences and similarities

There are only minor differences among the three Tulfo siblings’ careers: Raffy went straight from media to the Senate; Erwin, a long-time broadcast journalist with ABS-CBN, had a short-lived stint as social welfare secretary under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, substituted as party-list nominee of ACT-CIS in the House, before jumping into the Senate race.

Ben’s path is similar to Raffy’s taking a leap from traditional and social media and throwing his hat in the political ring in the 2025 midterm elections. His campaign slogan is “Ilalaban Kita…. ’Di ka iiwan (I will fight for you…. I will not abandon you).” 

Ben, however, has done a creative job of differentiating himself from his two brothers through a simple act: his unique fashion and campaign color.

DARK. Ben Tulfo’s black campaign color, black shirts, and dark shades allow people to easily distinguish him from his brothers, incumbent Senator Raffy Tulfo and ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo. Screenshot from Ben Bitag Facebook

“He wears shades,” marketing guru Alan German told Christian Esguerra’s Facts First online show. “So, immediately, when you see shades, ah si Ben ‘yan (ah, that’s Ben)…. And Ben Tulfo is the one who doesn’t talk about politics…. It’s a differentiation play.” 

In a Facebook post that explains this, Ben said: “Independent ako. Wala ako sa kahit na anong partido. Sa bayan at tao lang ako, walang parti-partido.” (I’m independent. I’m not with any party. I’m for the country and people, not for any party.) He has also tried to distance himself from his siblings amid a backlash against political dynasties.

Ben, an independent candidate, has also stood out for his black campaign color, unusual in Philippine campaigns. It complements his dark shades and his campaign nickname, “Bitag” (trap), meaning he wants to catch those who abuse the underprivileged. His online show uses the hastag, “#ipaBITAGmo” (Have it caught).

BITAG MEDIA. Similar to his brother Raffy, Ben Tuflo has a show on traditional and new media. Screenshot from Ben Bitag Facebook

To court the Mindanao vote, Ben has stressed his roots in southern Philippines. He was born in Dansalan, a barangay in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. Brother Erwin was born in Tacloban, Leyte.

In the 2025 elections, Ben’s campaign can be said to be more successful compared to Erwin, who’s running under the administration slate, since he’s been doing well even without the benefit of support from any traditional political party. He has been in the safe upper half of most of the pre-election surveys, including the most recent ones by pollsters SWS and Pulse Asia.

SAFE. Brothers Erwin and Ben Tulfo have managed to stay in the upper spots in pre-election surveys, placing them on track to getting elected in only their first attempt to win Senate seats in the May 12, 2025 elections. Screenshot from Social Weather Stations website

Wish for strong leaders

Robin Garcia, founder and chair of think tank WR Numero, said the popularity of the Tulfos is similar to those of then-Davao mayor Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, and to Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022. 

“The rise of the Tulfos correlates to the preference of the Filipinos for strong leaders, strong presidents, specifically,” Garcia said in the same Rappler+ briefing, citing a surprising finding by his research group. 

“Filipinos really prefer strong leaders and they ascribe democracy with Duterte and Marcos, not with Aquino…. We really see that social undercurrent — people believe in strong, [in] hierarchies in Philippine society.” 

Aside from the Uniteam, Garcia said the biggest winners in the 2022 elections were the Tulfos, with Raffy placing third in the Senate race, ACT-CIS again winning three seats (his wife Jocelyn taking one seat), and their son Ralph winning in the 2nd District of Quezon City. 

And they’re doing it again in the 2025 midterms. “Now you’re seeing the…staying power of the Tulfos, and there’s going to be three Tulfos possibly [in the Senate],” Garcia said. 

Overlooking controversies

The Tulfos have achieved this popularity despite being involved in controversies.

Recall that, in 2018, Ben and sister Wanda Teo, who was then the tourism secretary of the Rodrigo Duterte administration, were linked to a P120-million advertising deal involving the Department of Tourism, (DOT) state-owned PTV-4, and Ben’s Bitag Media. (READ: COA sees graft: How Ben Tulfo earned from P120-million PTV-DOT deal)

A Senate blue ribbon committee probe had flagged the deal as a clear case of “conflict of interest” after the Commission on Audit questioned the P60 million paid by the DOT for ad placements on Kilos Pronto, a television show co-hosted by Ben and Erwin. 

The Ombdusman, however, cleared Teo, PTV, and Ben Tulfo in October 2021, saying “nowhere was it directly shown that Secretary Teo was aware that Kilos Pronto is owned by Ben Tulfo, her sibling.” 

Erwin, meanwhile, was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) in 2022 due to his American citizenship and his libel conviction. Erwin had admitted to acquiring US citizenship in the late 1980s, but said he renounced it in early 2022. He was convicted of libel in 2000 for columns he wrote in 1999 for the tabloid Remate, wherein he accused a former Bureau of Customs official of corruption and extortion. 

The Tulfo brand addresses a felt need by the underprivileged and resonates with the masa voters, making one of the siblings, most likely Raffy, a major contender in the 2028 national elections. As the Marcos and the Duterte camps continue to hit each other post-May 12 polls, expect the continued rise of this political brand. – Rappler.com