Comelec vows to resolve pending DQ cases before May polls
MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday vowed to resolve the pending disqualification cases filed against election bets before the May polls.
According to Garcia, this commitment is similar to the one the poll body made in resolving nuisance cases before the start of printing of ballots.
“Ireresolve namin lahat ng ’yan bago ang eleksyon para walang agam-agam ang mga kandidato at walang problema sa ating mga botante sa pagpipilian nila doon sa ihahalal nila,” Garcia said in an interview with reporters.
READ: Comelec: Disqualification case filed vs Tulfo brothers, 3 kin
(We will resolve that before the elections so there will be no doubts for the candidates and the voters will not have a problem choosing who they will elect.)
Garcia noted that the Comelec’s commitment to resolve the cases will “hopefully” reach the en banc level, or the highest decision-making body of the commission.
READ: Tulfo, Lacson lament absence of anti-political dynasty law
“Baka nga naman masayang ang mga boto nila kung sakali naman na ’yung maihahalal nila sa bandang huli ay madidisqualify or hindi makakasama dapat sa pagpipilian ng botante,” Garcia added.
(Because the votes might go to waste if the proclaimed candidate will be disqualified in the end or will not be included in the list of bets.)
This came after a disqualification case was filed by Quezon City 2nd District representative aspirant Virgilio Garcia against senatorial candidates ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, broadcaster Ben Tulfo, ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Pua-Tulfo, Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo, and Turismo Party-list nominee Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
“WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of the Honorable Commission that, after due process, respondents be declared as constituting a POLITICAL DYNASTY by express prohibition under the Constitution and are therefore not qualified as candidates to seek public office in the National and Local Elections in May 2025,” the 21-page petition read.
The petitioner also said that the five respondents are related to senator Raffy Tulfo “within the first or second civil consanguinity or of affinity.”
Although the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties to “guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service,” no law has been passed to enact the takeover of political dynasties in the country.
Further, Chairman Garcia said that as long as the case is still pending and not yet resolved, the candidacy will remain and the names will not be removed in the ballots. He added that the same case is applied for candidates who withdrew their candidacies during the production of ballots.
However, the Comelec chief stated that the poll body will lose its jurisdiction over the case if it is not able to decide on the case on time.
“Kung sakaling di madesisyunan on time ang kanilang kaso at sakali pong sila ay mahalal at mayroon nang proklamasyon at matapos mayroon pang assumption, at nakapanumpa ay wala po tayong magagawa kung hindi idismiss ang kaso sapagkat mawawalan ng jurisdiction ang Comelec,” he noted.
(If the case is not decided on time and they are proclaimed and assumed positions, the Comelec will have no choice but to dismiss the case because it will lose its jurisdiction.)
He then said that the jurisdiction will be taken over by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) if the cases handled are for senatorial candidates, while cases for representatives will be handed over to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET). Meanwhile, the jurisdiction of Comelec on local candidates will remain even after proclamation and assumption of duty.
Chairman Garcia also added that the cases, once dismissed, can be refiled to the SET or HRET.
