Comelec junks disqualification case vs Tulfo ‘dynasty’

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As the petition was 'insufficient in form' for failing to attach the Tulfos' candidacy documents, the Comelec already did not rule on the merits of the petition, which questioned the clan's building of a political dynasty

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) threw out a petition that sought to block the 2025 candidacies of Tulfo family members for supposedly constituting a political dynasty.

The Comelec’s 1st Division said in a ruling dated Tuesday, March 4, that the petition filed by lawyer Virgilio Garcia was insufficient in form.

“Upon scrutiny of the submitted petition and its attachments, it appears that the petitioner failed to provide the copies of respondents’ COCs (certificates of candidacy), which would have been vital in order to properly verify the necessary information alleged in the petition,” the ruling read.

“Consequently, it cannot also be verified whether the petition was properly served to the respondents,” it added.

Five members of the political family are running in the midterms. ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo and his brother broadcaster Ben Tulfo are gunning for seats in the Senate, while ACT-CIS Representative Jocelyn Tulfo, Quezon City 2nd District Representative Ralph Wendel Tulfo, and Turismo first nominee Wanda Tulfo-Teo are running for a House post.

If they all win, there will be six Tulfos in the 20th Congress, in addition to Senator Raffy Tulfo, whose first term won’t expire until 2028.

Petitioner Garcia is currently running against Ralph Tulfo for the Quezon City seat. He is also a retired brigadier general from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Judge Advocate General Service.

He had argued that the 1987 Constitution explicitly prohibits political dynasties. While that is true, the Constitution also left the task of defining political dynasties to Congress.

Nearly four decades since the 1986 EDSA uprising, the legislative branch, now ruled by political families, has yet to pass a law on the matter, as it would essentially run counter to their self-interests.

The Comelec ruling was signed by commissioners Aimee Ferolino (also presiding), Ernesto Maceda Jr., and Maria Norina Tangarao-Casingal. – with reports from Michelle Abad/Rappler.com