The Commission on Elections has dismissed a petition seeking to cancel the candidacy of survey frontrunner Raffy Tulfo for the 2022 senatorial race.
Comelec acting chairperson Socorro Inting announced the decision in an event on Wednesday morning.
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A woman named Julieta Pierson filed a petition last October 25 to cancel Tulfo’s candidacy saying that she is the legal wife of Tulfo and not Jocelyn Tulfo.
Inting said that there was false misrepresentation when Tuflo indicated Jocelyn as his wife. Inting said that marriage is not an issue for someone to run for public office.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that only “material misrepresentation” will be subjected to the cancellation of a person’s candidacy.
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“A verified petition seeking to deny due course or to cancel a certificate of candidacy may be filed by the person exclusively on the ground that any material representation contained therein as required under Section 74 hereof is false. The petition may be filed at any time not later than twenty-five days from the time of the filing of the certificate of candidacy and shall be decided, after due notice and hearing, not later than fifteen days before the election,” Article IX, Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code stated.
Members of the media have yer to receive a copy of the decision.
