A word war is brewing between two familiar faces in broadcasting.
Host Ben Tulfo has fired back at his friend and fellow broadcaster Mike Enriquez after the latter referred to the Department of Tourism as the “Department of Tulfo,” in reference to the recent controversy involving Tulfo’s Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. and his sister, tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
Tulfo on his Facebook Live broadcast “Ben Tulfo Unfiltered” criticized Enriquez and his co-anchor Joel Reyes Zobel for excessive advertising on his own radio show on DZBB Super Radyo.
He brought on set a large can of processed food poking fun at Mega sardines, a product which Enriquez advertises, with the tagline “T*ngina mo tomato sauce.”
“Buma sardines,” Tulfo’s spoof product, is an allusion to “Booma,” one of Enriquez’ nicknames as a disc jockey.
The Bitag Media host, known for his staunch defense of President Rodrigo Duterte, also scored Enriquez for his supposed lack of journalistic ethics over attack on the DOT.
On the accompanying note, Tulfo accuses Enriquez of being “dilawan,” the pejorative label for those criticizing the president and his administration.
On the broadcast, he also countered critics of his company’s deal with PTV-4, explaining that they had observed the proper legal processes. He also distanced Bitag Media from the deal between PTV-4 and the DOT, claiming that it was only a “blocktimer or content producer” for PTV-4.
Tulfo is a host of “Kilos Pronto,” a show run by Bitag Media that airs on PTV-4.
The Tulfos’ sister, Secretary Tulfo-Teo recently opened up about the questioned DOT ad placement as having been originally proposed by PTV-4.
While those watching from the sidelines eagerly await Enriquez’ response, some have countered the accusations Tulfo has flung at his fellow broadcaster.
‘Bitag’ versus ‘Imbestigador’
In his tirade, Tulfo speaks of his past history with Enriquez. He admits to being under the tutelage of Enriquez when the two were still disk jockeys. Tulfo even refers to Enriquez as his friend on the Facebook statement.
Far removed from their days as DJs, Enriquez has since worked as an anchor of GMA’s 24 Oras and the host of “Imbestigador,” an investigative documentary show. It has been aired since 2000.
Bitag, an “investigative documentary-reality television program“ on the one hand first aired in 2002, a brain child of Tulfo. It was first broadcast on ABC (now TV5).
It comes to no surprise that Tulfo has used how they host their respective programs as a point of comparison, though some have objected to Tulfo’s criticism of Enriquez.
Tulfo, like his brothers Ramon, Raffy, and Erwin, has been largely involved in criminal investigation-oriented broadcasting. Before Bitag started airing in 2002, the eldest of the brothers, Ramon, hosted the popular “Isumbong mo Kay Tulfo” which used to air on the former RPN-9. The show has since also been hosted by Raffy and Erwin.
Apart from their respective stints in broadcasting, the Tulfo brothers have also been columnists for various newspapers and publications.
Tulfo recently posted an old photograph of the Tulfo siblings’ father, a retired colonel in the Philippine Constabulary.