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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Comelec 2nd Division dismisses Tulfo DQ case

Comelec 2nd Division dismisses Tulfo DQ case

Published May 25, 2023 10:19 am
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division dismissed on Thursday, May 25, the petition for disqualification filed against Erwin Tulfo, the nominee next in line of the ACT-CIS party-list group. In the resolution promulgated on Thursday, May 25, the Second Division dismissed the petition for "lack of jurisdiction" stating that it was filed beyond the period prescribed under the rules. "For lack of jurisdiction over this Petition, it is futile for Us to discuss the other issues raised in the petition," the resolution read. A certain Moises Tolentino, Jr., a lawyer, filed the disqualification case against Tulfo on allegations pertaining to the "question of citizenship" and "conviction by final judgment of a crime involving moral turpitude". He argued in his petition that there are serious doubts regarding the citizenship of Tulfo. He cited the confirmation hearings conducted by the Commission on Appointments for his appointment as the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) where the respondent admitted that he used to be a member of the United States (US) Army. To become a member of the US Army, an applicant must be a US citizen or a permanent resident with a valid green card. However, the respondent "asserts" that the petition was filed beyond the period provided under the rules which was nine months after the proclamation of ACT-CIS. Yet the petitioner cited Section 13 of Republic Act 7941 or the Party List System Act, which according to his petition, states that the proclamation of the party list representative, not the proclamation of the party list itself, as the reckoning point for the counting of the prescription period. "Here is a stark fact: Respondent had not yet been proclaimed when this Petition was filed," the petitioner stated. The Second Division, on the other hand, said that the petitioner is mistaken, citing the Certificate of Proclamation issued to ACT-CIS by the Commission En Banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers for the Party-List System in the May 2022 polls which according to them, states that "the people for the party-list group/organization/coalition during elections, and not the nominees. Therefore, it is the Party list that is being proclaimed as the winner, not the nominees." "The NBOC proclaimed ACT-CIS as winner and merely named Edvic Yap as the nominee who will sit as representative to the House of Representatives," the resolution stated. In relation to this, citing Comelec Resolution No. 9366, the Second Division stated that it explicitly requires that a petition for disqualification of party-list nominees shall be filed any day not later than the date of proclamation. ACT-CiS was proclaimed on May 26, 2022. "Therefore, being filed on 1 March, 2023, the instant petition was filed out of time," the Second Division said. Tulfo is next in life after the resignation of Rep. Jeffrey Soriano of the ACT-CIS party list was accepted by the House of Representatives (HOR) on Feb. 22, 2023. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that the resolution is not yet final and executory. He stated that the petitioner may file a Motion for Reconsideration five days from Thursday (May 25) including Saturday and Sunday. If no MR will be filed, the resolution will be final and executory and the Commission En Banc sitting as the NBOC will issue a Certificate of Proclamation. Meanwhile, Garcia said that if the jurisdiction of the case will not be with Comelec, it will fall into the hands of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).

Related Tags

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco Erwin Tulfo Comelec Commission on Elections (Comelec) comelec chairman george erwin garcia Commission on Elections
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