Alyansa senatorial bet and House Deputy Speaker Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday expressed relief over the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to dismiss a petition to disqualify five members of the Tulfo family, who are running for the Senate and House of Representatives in the May elections.
Tulfo in a statement said “the dismissal of the case due to the petitioner’s failure to comply with the necessary requirements of the Comelec is proof of the integrity of our elections and the importance of following due process.”
“I stand with full confidence in the independence and fairness of the Comelec,” he added.
Tulfo said the Comelec decision was “just and fair.”
“This decision confirms the strong commitment of the Commission to justice and to maintaining the credibility of our democratic institution,” he said.
“As a public servant, I remain faithful to my duty to serve with integrity, honesty, and compliance with the law. This decision allows me to focus more of my time and effort on serving our citizens and advancing their interests in Congress,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo, one of the leading senatorial candidates in pre-election polls, also thanked his supporters for their “continued trust and support.”
In a six-page decision, the poll body’s first division junked the disqualification case filed by lawyer Virgilio Garcia, citing his alleged failure to submit all the required documents, including the respondents’ certificates of candidacy (COC).
“Upon scrutiny of the submitted petition and its attachments, it appears that the petitioner failed to provide the copies of respondents’ COCs, which would have been vital in order to properly verify the necessary information alleged in the Petition,” the decision read.
“Consequently, it cannot also be verified whether the petition was properly served to the respondents,” it added.