ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo arrives to file his certificate of candidacy for senator on the 6th day of filing for the 2025 midterm elections in Manila on October 6, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo admitted on Monday that he was once an undocumented worker in the United States, also known by the colloquial term "TNT" or "tago nang tago."

Tulfo, representative of the ACT CIS party-list, made the admission following allegations on social media that he used fraudulent identity to acquire an American passport.

The lawmaker said he left for the US in 1986 with a tourist visa and worked there for 10 years. But Tulfo asserted, he only did it to help his family.

“Wala ho akong ginawang masama! Nagtungo ako sa Amerika para pakainin ang anak ko, paaralin. That’s what I did. That’s the only mistake that I did, nag-TNT po ako. That’s true. Lahat ng diskarte ginawa ko na. Lahat naman siguro ng ama will do the same thing,” Tulfo said on the program “Punto Asintado Reload” that aired on his social media page.

“Ginawa ko lang naman ho ‘yun para mapakain ‘yung mga anak ko, para maitawid ‘yung mga anak ko sa paghihirap. Kung kasalanan ho ‘yun sa tingin ho ninyo, then guilty po ako. Pero ito lang ho ang masasabi ko, wala po akong nilabag na batas dito sa ating bayan. Wala po akong nilokong tao, ni isang Pilipino. Maging sa Amerika noong nandoon ako, wala po akong in-estafa, wala po akong ini-scam na mga Pilipino, maging mga Amerikano,” Tulfo said.

Tulfo attributed attacks on his credibility to his high ranking in the recent surveys on preferred Senate bets.

“Kaya binabanatan tayo, dahil number one ako sa survey,” he said.

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