Hearing set on Tulfos’ disqualification

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to call a hearing into the disqualification case filed against five candidates belonging to the Tulfo family.

“They will now be issuing, I think today or the latest by tomorrow, the necessary summons,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said yesterday.

Lawyer Virgilio Garcia, who is running in the May midterm elections, earlier asked the Comelec to disqualify senatorial candidates Erwin and Ben Tulfo, party-list nominees Jocelyn Pua-Tulfo (ACT-CIS) and Wanda Tulfo-Teo (Turismo) and Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo, who is seeking reelection.

The five Tulfo candidates constitute a political dynasty, which is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution.

Asked to comment on the disqualification filed against him and his relatives, Erwin said no law prohibits political dynasties in the country at present.

“We will support that (anti-political dynasty), all of us here will support that,” Tulfo said.

Tulfo said he has yet to receive a notice or subpoena from the Comelec.

The complainant, Tulfo said, forgot that the Constitution bans political dynasties “as may be defined by law.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a law,” he said.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson, who is included in the administration-backed Senate slate, said he will re-file a bill that will fulfill the Constitution’s provision against political dynasties.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said he would support “anything that would improve the democratic system, but without preventing rights of people to aspire for public office, whether he is a relative or not.”

Tulfo brothers top survey

Ben and Raffy Tulfo are now tied to the top spot of 12 candidates likely to win a Senate seat, based on Tangere’s pre-election preferential survey this month.

Both of them garnered 53 percent voter preference.

Sen. Bong Go ranked third, followed by former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, Bong Revilla and Pia Cayetano.

Three Alyansa candidates – former interior secretary Benhur Abalos, former senator Manny Pacquiao and Sen. Lito Lapid – are statistically tied at seventh to 10th place, Tangere noted.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa ranked seventh to 11th.

Rounding out the top 12 are TV host Willie Revillame, Lacson and former senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino.