The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed a petition that sought to disqualify Senator-elect Erwin Tulfo in the May 2025 midterm elections because the complaint did not meet the necessary requirements and lacked sufficient formality.
The case was “dismissed,” according to a 25-page ruling issued by the Comelec’s Second Division on Friday, which rejected the petition due to non-compliance with specific requirements.
Disbarred lawyer Bertini ‘Toto’ Causing and Graft-Free Philippines Foundation Inc. (GFPFI) filed the disqualification case against Tulfo.
“At the onset, it is imperative to settle the procedural issues raised by Respondent alleging Petitioners’ failure to observe certain requirements under the rules, and such failure warrants the outright dismissal of the Petition for insufficiency in form,” the Comelec said in its resolution.
The certificate of candidacy (COC) submitted by the petitioners had no affidavit of authentication, according to the ruling. There was also no secretary’s certificate.
Causing has formally requested that Tulfo be disqualified from participating in the 2025 senatorial elections based on two main reasons: first, Tulfo has a conviction for a crime that is considered to involve moral turpitude, and second, he is not recognized as a Filipino citizen.
These factors, according to Causing’s group, should disqualify Tulfo from running for public office.
“In view of the multiple grounds already established for the dismissal of the Petition, the other matters and issues raised by the parties no longer merit any consideration,” the Second Division said.
Tulfo campaigned under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas and won one of the 12 seats in the Senate for the 20th Congress after he was voted by 17,118,881 citizens in the recently concluded midterm elections.