Erwin Tulfo to ask help from veteran senators so he won’t ‘look stupid’
Sen. Erwin Tulfo. Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines— Sen. Erwin Tulfo has tapped the help of some veteran senators as he takes on his new role as a senator on June 30.
Although he has experience in legislation as representative of Party-list Group ACT-CIS in the House of Representatives, Tulfo acknowledged that being in the Senate is a “different ball game.”
“I don’t want to look stupid,” he said, speaking in Filipino, in an interview on Friday.
“You keep talking and you don’t even know what you’re saying. We might get called out by senior lawmakers: ‘Be quiet—you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I still have a lot to learn,” he added.
Tulfo was asked about the decision of the Senate impeachment court to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ: Remand-artix-of-impeachment
While he wanted to respond to the question, he said it would be difficult as he has no formal knowledge about the procedures and laws.
But he said he is already consulting his senator-brother, Raffy, as well as former Sen. Orlando Mercado. He is also planning to meet with former Sen. Franklin Drilon and outgoing Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
“To get pointers so I don’t look stupid. Yes, I have experience in Congress, but the Senate is a different ball game. I want to learn,” Tulfo stressed.
He said he also wants to be remembered as a senator who performed and not someone who just stayed quiet in the corner, passed no laws, or made people regret voting for him.
“I want to be a senator of everybody,” he added.
Despite ranking fourth and getting over 17 million votes in the last May elections, Tulfo admitted that he still wondering until now about those who did not vote for him.
“Is it because they don’t trust me? Is it because they think I’m biased? Those are the questions that linger in my mind every day. Why didn’t they vote for me? What was I lacking?” said Tulfo. /mr
