FACT CHECK: Raffy Tulfo not arrested

Senator Raffy Tulfo was present at the Senate impeachment court days after YouTube videos falsely claimed he had been arrested

AT A GLANCE

• No credible evidence supports the claim of Tulfo's arrest; he continues to fulfill his duties as a senator.
• The videos making the claim lack official documentation and focus on unrelated political commentary.

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Claim: An arrest warrant was issued against Senator Raffy Tulfo, who was then apprehended by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The thumbnail of the YouTube video bearing the claim shows Tulfo alongside an image of a purported Supreme Court (SC) warrant and armed personnel from the AFP. 

As of writing, the video posted on September 26 has 143,511 views, 3,800 likes, and 284 comments. Text on its thumbnail and its title read: “Raffy Tulfo may warrant! Utos ng Supreme Court sa AFP?”

(Raffy Tulfo has a warrant! Supreme Court order to the AFP?)

Another YouTube video uploaded by the same user on September 24 has 71,559 views, 2,300 likes, and 183 comments as of writing. Its thumbnail and caption state: “Raffy Tulfo inaresto ng AFP! Pinasok ang Senado?”

(Raffy Tulfo arrested by the AFP! Entered the Senate?)

The facts: Tulfo has not been arrested, and he continues to perform his duties as senator. No credible news reports, official notices from government agencies, or statements from Tulfo himself indicate that such an event happened.

Contrary to the claim, videos and live coverage show that he was present on Day 31 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on September 29, days after the first video claimed he had allegedly been arrested.

Neither YouTube video presents evidence of a warrant, court order, or any other official notice to support the claim. Instead, both contain unrelated political commentary on corruption, confidential funds, and voting in the 2028 elections.

Supposed SC warrant: The video does not identify any case that would have led to the issuance of an alleged arrest warrant against Tulfo. For a warrant to be issued, a case must first be filed before the proper court, after which trial court judges or justices determine whether probable cause exists to issue a warrant of arrest. (READ: Indicted? Charged? A guide to court jargon)

The Supreme Court primarily exercises original jurisdiction over certain cases and the authority to review, revise, modify, or affirm lower court decisions.

Publicly available Supreme Court records reviewed as of September 30 show no issuance that supports the claim. There are likewise no reports from credible media outlets about a warrant of arrest against Tulfo or his supposed arrest.

Tulfo’s role in Duterte’s impeachment trial: The false claim began circulating while Tulfo was serving as a senator-judge in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

As a senator-judge, Tulfo previously questioned defense lawyer Michael Poa’s role as Duterte’s counsel, citing a potential conflict of interest following the relevation that Poa — previously an undersecretary and chief of staff of the Department of Education — had met with the Commission on Audit to discuss an audit query related to confidential funds.

Tulfo has also made statements about the Vice President’s alleged business involvements.

He was also among the 13 senator-judges who voted to lower the conviction threshold to 14 votes. His brother, senator-judge Erwin Tulfo, made the motion to bar absentee senators from voting in the trial.

Debunked: Rappler has previously fact-checked false claims about the Tulfo brothers:

• FACT CHECK: Video of Tulfos admitting flood control payoff is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Raffy Tulfo not expelled from Senate
• FACT CHECK: Tulfo remains a sitting senator
• FACT CHECK: Tulfo not suspended from Senate

– Agatha Gonzalvo/Rappler.com

Agatha Gonzalvo is a Research and Data volunteer intern at Rappler. She is a fourth-year Applied Economics student at De La Salle University Manila.

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