The Tulfo Brothers in Government Media

THE biggest thing to happen ever since I left for the United States in 2016 is the huge change in government radio and TV under the Duterte administration.

Three of the four Tulfo brothers -- Erwin, Ben and Mon -- are now part with the government TV station People's Television and its sister radio network Philippine Broadcasting Service.

Mon, the eldest, moved his radio show Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo to Radyo Pilipinas after previously working with DWIZ and the Philippine Daily Inquirer's radio station.

Ben has his daily TV show Bitag on PTV after he was previously seen on UNTV and Aksyon TV, a channel owned by TV5. Ben's show was also simulcast on Radyo Singko, TV5's sister FM station. At present, Ben is a blocktimer on PTV with six shows aired on the government network which he all produced -- Bitag Live, Bitag Next Generation, Kilos Pronto, Ben Tulfo Unfiltered, Pinoy US Cops and I Travel Pinas, the show which reportedly aired tourism ads worth P60 million with the help of the Department of Tourism under former Secretary Wanda Teo -- the Tulfo sister.

Erwin has been the busiest of the three, having a radio program on Radyo Pilipinas, co-hosting Kilos Pronto and being a newscaster on PTV at 6 pm although he was replaced by Alex Santos following the tourism controversy. Erwin got canned after he lashed out at a PTV reporter on the air and the conversation reportedly didn't sit in well with the PTV bosses.

Only Raffy hasn't joined his brothers in government media because he still has a contract with TV5 for his noontime newscast and his own radio show Wanted sa Radyo. Incidentally, the theme song of Wanted is composed and sung by PBA coliseum announcer Rob Evangelista, also the station manager of I FM, a station owned by Radio Mindanao Network which also owns DZXL, the station Raffy used to work for before moving to TV5.

It is no secret that the three Tulfos are the flagship announcers of PTV and PBS. Duterte rewarded them with jobs in the government stations after the former Davao mayor won in the 2016 presidential elections and the three of them didn't hide their support for the current leader. PTV let go of a number of former news employees like Kathy San Gabriel and Xiao Chua to give way to the fiery brothers.

As for Radyo Pilipinas, the station also has other announcers who joined the station after Duterte became president like Weng de la Pena, who used to work with Erwin Tulfo back at DZXL. Of course, Aljo Bendijo and Allan Allanigue, who were part of PTV and PBS under the Noynoy Aquino administration, are still there with the two stations.

Even Mon Tulfo's sons Bon and Patrick also had a chance to pinch-hit for their father on the latter's radio show whenever the dad was absent due to other commitments.

The Tulfos are using their fiery tongues to praise the president and PTV and PBS is the perfect vehicle for them to defend Duterte from the supporters of the previous administration.

Love them or hate them, the Tulfos will surely be part of our daily lives as long as Duterte is president.