Senator-elect Erwin Tulfo has pledged to approach the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte with the same investigative rigor he applied during his years as a journalist.
In an interview on Unang Balita, Tulfo said his background in media trained him to thoroughly vet sources and verify evidence before making any conclusions—skills he intends to use as a senator-judge in the trial.
“When I was in media, any scoop or allegation that came to us was checked—what’s the source, where’s the evidence, is there proof?” said Tulfo, who recently won a Senate seat under the administration slate, Alyansa sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Tulfo stressed the importance of hearing both sides. “We must also hear from the accused—what they have to say, what counter-evidence they can provide. That’s the fair approach,” he said.
He added that he deliberately did not sign the impeachment complaint against Duterte earlier this year during his term as ACT-CIS party-list representative. Doing so, he said, would compromise his impartiality as a judge in the Senate.
“There was a chance I would win and sit as a senator-judge. If I had already signed that complaint, then my judgment would be considered biased even before seeing all the evidence,” Tulfo explained.
The House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Duterte in February following a probe into alleged misuse of confidential funds by her offices in the OVP and DepEd.
Tulfo reiterated that the findings from the House inquiry remain allegations until proven otherwise. “It’s not right to say someone is guilty if I haven’t heard their side. I’m approaching this like a journalist—always hearing both sides,” he said.