MANILA, Philippines — A labor group has assailed the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to include detained doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy in the senatorial race for the 2025 national and local elections.
In a 19-page petition filed before the Supreme Court on January 15, the Workers' and Peasants' Party, led by lawyer Sonny Matula, urged the high court to declare Quiboloy a nuisance candidate and disqualify him from running in the upcoming polls.
The group argued that the poll body exhibited “a double standard in the application of procedural rules,” which it strictly enforced in other cases but applied with “leniency” toward Quiboloy.
“This inconsistency undermines the principles of fairness, equal protection, and adherence to the rule of law in the democratic process,” the group’s petition read.
According to the group, Quiboloy’s camp failed to meet the five-day deadline to file an answer after being served notice by the Comelec on Nov. 4, 2024, submitting his response only on Dec. 10, 2024 — more than a month late.
Instead of penalizing this non-compliance, the poll body dismissed the group’s petition to disqualify Quiboloy in December 2024 — a decision the group argued undermines public confidence in the commission's impartiality.
“This blatant disregard for the orders of this Tribunal demonstrates Quiboloy’s inability and unwillingness to participate in a meaningful and serious electoral process though belatedly he filed an answer,” the petition read.
The labor group also argued that Quiboloy’s incarceration at the Pasig City Jail for multiple serious criminal charges, including qualified human trafficking and child abuse, limits his ability to conduct a legitimate nationwide campaign as a person deprived of liberty.
“The circumstances of his detention render him incapable of engaging with voters, organizing campaign activities, or fulfilling the basic requirements of a candidate vying for a national position. This reinforces the conclusion that his candidacy is not bona fide but rather serves to mock the electoral process,” the petition read.
The detained preacher, facing charges of trafficking in persons and abuse, submitted his certificate of candidacy for the position on Oct. 8, 2024, through his lawyer.
In a message to Philstar.com, one of Quiboloy’s lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio, said: “Due to the fact that the case is new before the courts, we cannot comment at length on the merits of the case, except to state that the petition for disqualification filed by Atty. Sonny Matula is, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, as thin as the soup made from boiling the shadow of a chicken that has been starved to death.”
“We only hope that Atty. Matula, as an officer of the court, is not using the high profile of Pastor Quibiloy to boost his political stock by riding on the Pastor's popularity,” he added.