ACT-CIS Party-list nominee Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)

ACT-CIS Party-list nominee Erwin Tulfo has explained his status in the House of Representatives.

In an interview with House reporters Tuesday night, May 30, Tulfo said that he cannot fully assume the position of congressman until the resolution of his case before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"I cannot really assume officially the position, not until the [resolution of the] MR (motion for reconsideration) because you have to follow the also, they have to follow also the process and in respect to Comelec," Tulfo said.

The former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary said the House expects to get a hold of the resolution "in two to three weeks' time".

"So meaning to say, I can go there, and...prepare my staff. Pero (But) I cannot go to the plenary and participate," said Tulfo, also a former broadcast journalist.

"Hopefully by SONA I should be able to get in, yun ang target nila (that's their target)," he said.

Tulfo was referring to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s scheduled State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24, 2023.

SONA day will mark the start of the second regular session in the current 19th Congress.

Tulfo reiterated his remarks during a chance interview Wednesday morning, May 31, when he occupied his office in the House of Representatives for the first time.

Tulfo took his oath of office before Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe on Tuesday night at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

Also on Tuesday, Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the House needs to receive Tulfo's certificate of nomination from Comelec before his name could be placed on the roll of members.

Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo and Edvic Yap are the other two nominees of ACT-CIS. The erstwhile third nominee, Rep. Jeffrey Soriano, resigned on Feb. 6, 2023 and was dropped from the roll.