Published by: Annika Howie Quizana
Date Published: February 27, 2025
Time Published: 6:54 PM
Senatorial aspirant representative Erwin Tulfo of the ACT-CIS Party-list defended himself against disqualification charges linked to political dynasty allegations during a press briefing of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday, February 18, in Pasay City.
Lawyer Virgilio Garcia filed a 22-page petition before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), seeking the disqualification of Rep. Tulfo and other family members.
The complaint cited Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, which states, “The State shall guarantee equal access to all opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
In an interview, Tulfo stated, “Sinasabi po kasi dun ‘may be defined by law.’ Unfortunately, wala po tayong law.”
He argued that while the Constitution mentions banning political dynasties, Congress has not passed an enabling law.
Without it, he believes dynasty-related disqualification cases lack legal basis. He also questioned why similar complaints are not filed against other political families.
Furthermore, Tulfo said he had not received any official notice or subpoena and only learned about the case from his barber.
He criticized the process, suggesting that the complaint may be politically motivated with elections approaching. Despite this, he remains confident in his candidacy.
If a political dynasty law were proposed in the Senate, Tulfo said he would support it if it had clear definitions and fair regulations.
He stressed that it should apply to all political families, regardless of influence or party affiliation.
The Tulfo family includes several members in government or seeking office. Erwin’s siblings, Ben and Wanda, are also involved in politics, while Jocelyn Tulfo, wife of Senator Rafael "Raffy" Tulfo, and their son Ralph are running for government positions.
Meanwhile, former Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is seeking a Senate comeback, blamed the continued existence of political dynasties on the absence of a concrete measure to address them. He plans to re-file a bill that would fulfill the 1987 Constitution’s provision against political dynasties.
Lacson said he hopes his bill will finally gain support from Congress, as it specifies the degree of affinity or consanguinity the measure aims to cover.
REFERENCES:
[1] Cruz, R. G. (2025, February 18). “Erwin Tulfo on DQ case, dynasty tag: 'Unfortunately there's no law against it'” ABS-CBN News. https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/18/erwin-tulfo-on-dq-case-dynasty-tag-unfortunately-theres-no-law-against-it-
[2] Mangaluz, J. (2025, February 18). “No law defines political dynasties, says Erwin Tulfo” Philsatar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/02/18/2422416/no-law-defines-political-dynasties-says-erwin-tulfo
[3] Sequina, M. C. (2025, February 18). “Lawyer files disqualification case vs. Tulfos running in Eleksyon 2025” GMA Integrated News. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/936536/comelec-tulfo-disqualification-case-eleksyon-2025/
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