Senator Erwin Tulfo yesterday said he is ready to face the quo warranto petition filed before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) questioning his eligibility to serve due to alleged issues with his citizenship.
Tulfo said he was aware of the pending petition and is prepared to respond to it through proper legal channels.
“Despite all this, we will continue our work. The people elected us to serve, and that is what we will keep doing,” he said.
The neophyte senator noted that the same disbarred lawyer had previously filed several disqualification complaints against him during the campaign period, all of which were dismissed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
The existence of the petition surfaced during the Senate Committee on Finance’s budget hearing Monday when SET Deputy Secretary Eleanor Francisco-Anunciacion mentioned a pending quo warranto case against a member of the Senate but did not name the lawmaker.
A slide presented during the hearing later identified Tulfo as the respondent in the case filed by lawyer Berteni Cataluna Causing.
The tribunal received and docketed the petition on July 15, 2025, citing allegations that Tulfo was ineligible to hold public office because of citizenship concerns.
The petition remains pending before the tribunal, with the SET Secretariat carrying out preliminary actions in accordance with established procedures and the tribunal’s rules.
A quo warranto petition is a legal proceeding that questions a person’s right or authority to hold a public position.
Francisco-Anunciacion declined to discuss further details, saying the matter is under official review.
Causing had also filed a disqualification case against Tulfo in connection with the recent midterm elections, but the COMELEC dismissed it in March.
The SET, composed of senators and Supreme Court justices, handles all electoral protests and qualification disputes involving members of the Senate.
Once the tribunal concludes its review, it will decide whether Tulfo remains qualified to hold office or must vacate his seat.
