MANILA, Philippines — Some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have thrown their support to Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista after he was berated on air by radio personality Erwin Tulfo for supposedly failing to grant an interview request for his show.
Bautista, a retired Army general, earned sympathies from active and retired military members, who publicly took their sentiments against Tulfo to Facebook.
“Sir Erwin Tulfo, pasensya ka na. I have not worked with you, pero the way you talk and conclude things? You don’t stand any prestige sa akin,” said one of the posts that went viral.
“Seems you have awakened the ire not just of many of his friends, but also the hundreds in his PMA class, his upperclassmen and underclassmen, his ranger buddies of which there are thousands, the Army soldiers he once commanded as well as those like me, who respects the good man,” another open letter to Tulfo on social media read.
INQUIRER.net learned that some senior ranking officers have also expressed displeasure with Tulfo’s comments in private online groups.
Tulfo appeared furious in one of the recent episodes of his show “Tutok Tulfo,” after Bautista supposedly did not take his call for an interview.
“Sino ba tong buang na ito? Pasensya na, maski tao ka ni Pangulong Duterte, lelecture-an na kita. Listen up and listen good,” Tulfo said.
“Tinatawagan ka namin para marining ng kababayang mahihirap ang stand ng mga mahihirap. Hindi yung sasabihan niyo kami na sumulat muna kayo five days before. Sino ka bang punyeta ka na kailangan ko pang sumulat sayo? Sagutin mo yung telepono mo dahil Secretary ka ng DSWD! Gustong marinig ng mga kababayan natin anong magagawa mo para sa kanila,” he went on.
“Sampalin kita pag nakita kitang buang ka. Wala akong pakialam kung retired general ka. Ingudngud ko yung mukha mo sa inidoro,” he also said.
“Kung ako nahihirapan magka-access sayo, how much more ang mga mahihirap?” Tulfo said.
Bautista, a member of Philippine Military Academy “Sandiwa” Class of 1985, retired as Army chief last October. A seasoned military commander fighting terrorist groups, he was the overall ground commander during the Marawi siege in 2017.
He was also the first commander of Presidential Security Group under President Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, Tulfo actively campaigned for Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) party-list group during the midterm elections.
It was also reported recently that he was being eyed as the next press secretary of Duterte. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)