Quiboloy to run as independent senatorial bet in Eleksyon 2025

Detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy will now run as an independent candidate for senator in the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).

This developed after Quiboloy — through his legal counsel Attorney Mark Tolentino — sent a letter to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday revoking his Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) amid an alleged "intra-party dispute" in the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP).

"Given the ongoing intra-party dispute, I am revoking my acceptance as a nominee of WPP. I am therefore running as an independent candidate for senator in the 2025 NLE," his letter read.

Last week, the Comelec said it will give a response soon regarding the plea to cancel the 2025 senatorial candidacy of detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy for “material misrepresentation" filed by labor leader Sonny Matula.

According to the seven-page petition, Quiboloy’s nomination as WPP’s candidate for the 2025 national and local elections “had no factual and legal basis and, his CONA, was made by unauthorized persons.”

The WPP pointed out the controversial religious leader is neither a party member or a guest candidate.

The camp of Quiboloy, in return, also filed a petition seeking to declare Matula as a nuisance candidate.

Both Matula and Quiboloy are included in the initial list of senatorial aspirants whose names may be included in the official ballot for Eleksyon 2025.

No effect in candidacy

Meanwhile, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Quiboloy’s revoking of CONA will not affect his candidacy for senator.

“The Comelec Law Department and Comelec en banc will stand firm sa pagka-classify sa kaniya as a legitimate candidate simply because there’s no final and executory decision concerning his cases,” Garcia said.

(The Comelec Law Department and Comelec en banc will stand firm in classifying him as a legitimate  candidate simply because there’s no final and executory decision concerning his cases.)

“As far as the Comelec is concerned, we made a decision including him as a candidate regardless as to whether he is an independent candidate or candidate  with a political party,” he said.

The poll chief added: “Walang effect whatsoever sa nilabas naming resolution. If somebody will file a petition against a candidate, that's a different matter altogether…Kung ‘yun lang ay pagtatanggal ng nomination, it does not affect the determination of the Law Department and the Commission en banc”.

( It has no effect on our resolution. If somebody will file a petition against a candidate, that's a different matter altogether…but if it is about the revoking of nomination, then it does not affect the determination of the Law Department and the Commission en banc.)

The Comelec earlier said Quiboloy may be declared an independent senatorial bet in the May 2025 elections after it received two sets of authorized signatories from the WPP, each from the camps of lawyers Mark Kristopher Tolentino and Ariel Joseph Arias.

The Tolentino group submitted its list on September 30, 2024, naming Tolentino and Roberto Pascual as signatories, while the Arias group listed Arias, and lawyers Sonny Matula, Allan Montano, and Oscar Morado as the same.

Quiboloy is facing a slew of legal charges, including the alleged violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act and qualified human trafficking charges. He is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News