House Deputy Majority Leader and senatorial candidate Erwin Tulfo couldn’t hide his emotions while defending himself from the people who were questioning his credibility following the doubts about his citizenship.
During his radio program Punto Asintado on Monday, January 6, 2025, Tulfo admitted that he stayed undocumented in the United States to work, saying it was his only choice to support his family.
It can be recalled that a document allegedly from US Embassy in Manila circulated on social media, showing that Tulfo used the identity ‘Erich Sylvestre Tulfo’ to maintain his US Citizenship for 20 years.
As a response, Tulfo insisted that he was a law-abiding citizen, both in the Philippines and the United States.
He didn’t specify if he really was a US citizen during his stay abroad, and he said that he was only an undocumented worker.
“Kung pagiging TNT ko ho, kung pagiging undocumented alien ko po eh bawal po ako magsilbi, bawal na po ako magtrabaho sa ating bayan, na ginawa ko lang naman ‘yon para mapakain ‘yung mga anak ko. eh kung kasalanan ho ‘yon sa tingin ninyo, then guilty po ako,” said Tulfo.
“Pero ito lang masasabi ko: Wala po akong nilabag na batas dito sa ating bayan. Wala po akong nilokong tao, ni isang Pilipino. Maging sa Amerika no’ng nandoon po ako. Wala po akong ini-estafa. Wala po akong in-scam na mga Pilipino, maging na mga Amerikano. Wala po akong niloko,” he added.
Tulfo also said that he had no choice but to work abroad to support his family, like other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Kung may pera ako, I wouldn’t have gone. I wouldn’t have left. Kahit sino po yan, mga OFW na yan, kung may pera ho yan, aalis ba yan? Hindi,” he stated.
“Eh bakit mo tinago for 20 years? Hindi po ipinangangalandakan ng mga ‘ika nga undocumented alien, ng mga TNT, pero hindi ko rin ikinahihiya na once upon a time, nag-TNT ako, na once upon a time, illegal alien ako,” he added.