New disqualification case filed vs Erwin Tulfo

A petition for disqualification has been filed anew against leading senatorial candidate ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo.

In the 22-page petition provided by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia, petitioners Berteni Cataluña Causing, Graft-Free Philippines Foundation, Inc., Diosdado Villar Calonge seek to declare Tulfo disqualified from running as a senator.

According to them, Tulfo is still suffering from the 20-year disqualification case caused by the moral turpitude in four counts of libel. They stated he was convicted of four counts of libel that became final after these were affirmed by the Supreme Court.

They also stated that he is not a Filipino but an American citizen.

They also said in the petition that he violated the "equal access to opportunities to public service" clause as required under Section 26 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution. They argued that Erwin's senatorial bid simultaneously with his brother Benvenido "Ben" Teshiba Tulfo, and the fact that their brother Raffy Teshiba Tulfo is an incumbent senator, constitute, along with the fact that Erwin and Ben are topping the surveys, a violation of Section 26 of Article II ofthe 1987 Constitution.

The petitioners added that he also violated the political dynasty provision as required under Section 26 of Article ll of the 1987 Constitution.

Lastly, they said that he failed to prove his academic qualification or ability to serve the people of the Philippines with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency as required under Section 1 of Article XI ofthe 1987 Constitution.

This is Erwin's second disqualification case.

The first petition was filed by lawyer Virgilio Garcia seeks to disqualify him, Ben, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo; Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo; and Turismo party-list first nominee Wanda Tulfo-Teo.