By Ade S. Fajardo
Documents seen online seem to indicate that current Senate frontrunner Erwin Tulfo may have falsely represented himself as an American citizen after assuming the identity of one Erich Sylvester Tulfo.
A letter purportedly emanating from the US embassy concluded that Tulfo obtained a US birth certificate by “fraudulent means” because it shows that he was born in Hawaii on December 30, 1965, while evidence shows that he was born in Tacloban City, the Philippines, on August 10, 1963.
The United States follows the jus soli principle in citizenship, meaning that a person born in that country is by law an American citizen.
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The same letter told Tulfo that his US passport was being revoked pursuant to law. He could not be Erich Sylvester Tulfo because he is in truth Erwin Teshiba Tulfo.
Erwin’s Wikipedia account acknowledges a stint in the US Army from 1988 to 1992, and a posting in Europe from 1992 to 1996.
Was Tulfo drawing salary from the US government apparently under false pretenses, i.e., the lie that he was a legitimate American passport holder?
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Tulfo’s real citizenship first drew attention when his appointment as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development was submitted for confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
The appointment was bypassed because of the questions raised by some members of the CA.
Caloocan City Representative Oscar Malapitan, citing a report submitted to the commission, questioned Tulfo’s Filipino citizenship because of his membership in the US military. Malapitan asked him if he renounced his Filipino citizenship prior to joining the US Army. There is no response on record because Tulfo asked for an executive session.
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Tulfo reportedly told the media that he did not apply for US citizenship with the intent to join the American military. He refused to answer when pressed about the real reason for his purported application.
Representative Rodante Marcoleta remarked that the US military only hires American citizens by birth or naturalization, thereby implying that Tulfo would have to renounce that citizenship before holding public office in the Philippines.
Tulfo did not push the issue. He did not seek reappointment from President Bongbong Marcos and managed instead to replace a sitting party-list representative in Congress despite nagging questions on his citizenship. Meanwhile, updated surveys show the people want at least one other Tulfo in the Senate.
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Yesterday, Tulfo admitted in his radio program that he used to be an undocumented alien in the United States, protesting that he only did so to feed his family. However, he appeared to have been avoiding the pressing question — did he fool the American government into granting him wages and other benefits by taking on the identity of an American person?
Did that not entail falsification of documents?
The future senator has to provide a satisfactory explanation to the people. He may not invoke the same excuse given by snatchers when caught — that they are into crime because of economic hardship.
A potential lawmaker must not advocate the selective application of laws./WDJ
(Blurb)
Tulfo’s real citizenship first drew attention when his appointment as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development was submitted for confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.