Disqualification Case vs. Tulfo Family Dismissed
TULFO DISQUALIFICATION – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the disqualification case filed against Senate candidates Ben and Erwin Tulfo, along with other members of their family. The decision, issued by the Comelec First Division, cited the petition’s failure to meet formal requirements.
According to the ruling, petitioner Virgilio Garcia did not provide copies of the respondents’ certificates of candidacy—an essential requirement to verify the claims stated in the petition. The order also noted that it could not be confirmed whether the petition had been properly served to the respondents.
Garcia’s complaint was based on the 1987 Constitution’s prohibition against political dynasties. He argued that the Tulfo family already had multiple members in government and accused them of further concentrating political power within their clan. He pointed out that with three additional family members running, there could be a total of seven Tulfos in Congress.
The individuals named in the petition included Representative Jocelyn Tulfo, Representative Ralph Tulfo, and former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo. Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, seeking reelection, is the wife of Senator Raffy Tulfo. Their son, Rep. Ralph Tulfo, is also running for reelection as Quezon City’s second district representative. On the other hand, Wanda Tulfo-Teo is the first nominee of Turismo party-list.
Despite the constitutional provision against political dynasties, legal experts have emphasized that without an enabling law, the rule remains unenforceable. Given this legal gap and the petition’s technical deficiencies, the Comelec ruled to dismiss the case, allowing the Tulfo family members to proceed with their respective candidacies.
Meanwhile, A candidate can be disqualified for violating election laws (premature campaigning, vote buying, overspending), ineligibility (not a natural-born citizen, failing residency or age requirements), criminal convictions (crimes involving moral turpitude, election offenses), exceeding term limits, or misrepresenting information in their Certificate of Candidacy. While political dynasties are discouraged, they remain legal without an enabling law. Disqualification cases are handled by Comelec or the Supreme Court depending on the election stage.
Related Post: Tulfo Family Faces Disqualification Case Over Political Dynasty Claims