Don't be bullied by Tulfo, nor hoodwinked by Quiboloy

The time has come for us to stand up to big bullies and false prophets. In today's world, there are too many modern scribes, Pharisees, so-called messengers of God, and fake pretenders masquerading as protectors of the oppressed. We, the people, should stand up to these bullies and purveyors of falsehoods.

Who are these guys anyway? The Tulfos are not the clean and immaculate knights in shining armor that they are portraying themselves to be. Don't ever, ever allow yourselves to be bullied by these pretenders, especially if you are a public school teacher. I will ask a hundred volunteer lawyers who are all my former students to defend you in whatever forum he might threaten to bring you. The Tulfos do not have the monopoly of rectitude, nor have proven themselves to be the symbols of integrity. Their sister was removed by the president as Tourism secretary and one of them has been allegedly ordered to return to the government millions in public funds. Therefore, they do not have the moral, much less the legal authority to trample on the dignity of a teacher. They are not without stains too.

And do not be fooled by the self-righteousness of Apollo Quiboloy, who claims to be a messenger of God. He allegedly arrogated unto himself the power to stop earthquakes. If so, then why was he not able to stop many of his members who reportedly transferred their affiliation to KAPA (Kabus Padatuon)? If he has the power to command the winds and to move mountains, why are many of his followers still poor, while he wallows in extreme wealth supposedly? He was reported to own helicopters, big tracts of lands, and is able to maintain a lifestyle of the rich and famous. He was allegedly held in Honolulu on alleged questions about dollars and guns. He has yet to explain such a scandal to one and all, considering that he claims to be a man of God.

These two characters, Tulfo and Quiboloy happen to be both from Mindanao. Actually, their roots are both from Luzon but they migrated to the land of promise and prospered there because people take them seriously. The Tulfos came to Manila led by their eldest brother Ramon Tulfo. In fairness, Mon was a very good writer, brave and dauntless in his exposés. He gained popularity because he was stood for the truth and honest public service. But he lost his prestige somehow when three or four of his youngest siblings followed and tried to ape Mon, and exceeded many times the bounds of propriety and good manners. They used to berate, curse, and utter expletives at some minor and middle-level government functionaries. They try to impress complainants and radio and TV audiences.

All of a sudden, they would call you through the phone, and put the call on the air, often without even warning you, and bombard you with one-sided allegations presented by biased complainants. And then when your answer does not please them, they would insult you with very harsh prejudgments, without first hearing your side. Then you would end up regretting why you accepted the call in the first place. The call is heard nationwide and even all over the world. Then, they would issue threats, declaring that they are close to the powers-that-be, then repeatedly speak ill of you, thus destroying your reputation, and the good name of your business and brand. And often, they get away with these bullying tactics because people are afraid of these influence-peddlers.

It is high time that we fight back and protect our dignity and honor. There are no bullies if all of us refuse to be bullied.