Tulfo to push for laws for employees, media practitioners if elected

Senatorial aspirant broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo on Monday vowed to push for labor-related laws should he win a Senate seat in the 2022 May polls.

In an interview on GMA News, Tulfo said among his priority bills is the passage of a measure that would incur criminal charges to employers who would refuse to give proper salaries to their workers.

“Ang una kong isusulong na batas if magtuloy-tuloy at makapasok sa Magic 12 ay ‘yung wide step. Ano pong yung wide step? ‘Yun ay para kasuhan ng kriminal ang mga employer na nangungupit ng pera sa kanilang empleyado sa pamamagitan ng hindi pagbibigay ng tamang sweldo,” he said.

(The first law that I will legislate should I enter Magic 12 is wide-step. What is wide-step? It is a measure that would charge criminal liabilities to an employer who would extort money from employees by not paying rightful salaries.)

“Kasi sa present set-up kapag ang isang employer, if they’re found guilty na hindi nagbabayad ng tamang sweldo yun ay magiging civil cases lamang at aayusin lamang sa labor…dito sa ifa-file kong bill hindi pwede yung ayusan, aregluhan lamang. Kailangan managot talaga ang employer na matagal nang nangungupit. Magkakaroon siya ng criminal case at pwede siyang makulong, at maipasara pa ang kanyang company,” he added.

(In our present setup, such employees if found guilty were only filed with civil cases and they would only need to fix it in the labor. In my bill, that would not be allowed. They should be held accountable. They will be charged with criminal cases and they may be imprisoned or their businesses may be forced to close.)

Known for his popular radio program “Raffy Tulfo in Action”, the senatorial aspirant said his proposed measures would be based on the complaints he received in his around 20 years in service.

He likewise said he would use his experience as a broadcaster to help fellow media workers including the passage of a measure filed by Rep. Niña Taduran which would mandate private media organizations to pay workers wages mandated by law, provide them with government benefits and give security of tenure by making them permanent employees after a six-month probation period, among others.

If elected, Tulfo said he would support the winning presidential candidate but assured he will maintain his independence.

“Although I will support kung sino ang binoto ng nakararaming Pilipino… I will still stay independent dahil ayoko ng nakatali ako sa isang political party sapagkat ang gusto kong mangyari ay ang aking loyalty ay sa taong bayan lamang,” he said.

(Although I will support whoever will be voted for by the Filipino people… I will still stay independent because I don’t want to be caged in a political party. I want my loyalty to stay with the Filipino people.) -- BAP, GMA News