Raffy Tulfo wants to fix ‘broken’ govt system that gave rise to ‘Tulfo justice’

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 5) — Should he win a Senate seat in 2022, broadcaster Raffy Tulfo said he wants to make sure Filipinos can turn to the government for immediate help.

In an interview on CNN Philippines’ News.PH on Monday night, the senatorial aspirant said his wildly popular television and YouTube program Raffy Tulfo in Action (RTIA), which many turn to in hopes of obtaining swift justice, is “a product of a broken system in government.”

The RTIA YouTube channel alone has a massive reach of 21.7 million subscribers.

In the show, Tulfo attempts to resolve complaints of different kinds--from alleged abuses by employers or misconduct by local authorities, to those involving conflicts among family members or between romantic partners.

“Kung maayos sana ang pamamalakad ng ating mga taga gobyerno, hindi na nila kailangan ang RTIA," he said. "Hindi na nila kailangan ako."

[Translation: If only government officials do their job properly, people would no longer need the RTIA. They would no longer need me.]

This impairment is something he hopes to fix, Tulfo said, by crafting laws that would address complaints commonly aired in his public service program.

According to the broadcaster, his experience in RTIA would become the basis for the measures he would push for if he becomes a lawmaker.

“Ang advocacy ko ay tatlo,” he said. “Ito ‘yung araw-araw na mga problema na-eengkwentro ng aking action center, nakakausap ko, na binibigyan ko ng solution. OFW (Overseas Filipino workers), labor, and family.”

[Translation: I have three advocacies. These cover problems which my action center encounters on a daily basis and which I find a solution for. OFW, labor, and family.]

“So, diyan talaga magiging center ng aking adbokasiya, ng aking legislation," he added, "to make sure na darating ‘yung time na ‘yung RTIA ay hindi na kailangan...because nakapagpasa na ‘ko before the end of my term, kung papalarin, ng mga komprehensibong mga legislation that would really solve all these problems na inilalapit sa akin.”

[Translation: So, that will be the center of my advocacy, my legislation--to make sure there will come a time when Filipinos would no longer need the RTIA. This would be because I would have already passed before the end of my term, assuming I win, comprehensive legislation that would really solve all these problems people ask me to help with.]

Tulfo on Saturday filed his certificate of candidacy for senator as an independent.

He topped Pulse Asia’s latest survey on Filipinos’ preferred senatorial candidates for next year’s elections.