Comelec disqualifies Erice over alleged ‘false info’

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division has granted a petition seeking to disqualify former Caloocan representative Edgar Erice from the 2025 May polls for supposedly spreading “false and alarming” information. 

In seeking Erice's disqualification, petitioner Raymond Salipot alleged that the ex-legislator violated Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) by making “unsubstantiated yet disturbing and damaging statements” against the Comelec and the upcoming elections in various newspaper, online, and radio reports.

“All statements made by Respondent contradict verifiable and widely available facts from the Comelec and all sources across platforms,” the Comelec decision reads.

“Glaring is the fact that there was not any modicum of evidence provided by Respondent aside from bare statements made in the media. Hence, the information propagated by Respondent on the general conduct of elections are false,” it said. 

The Comelec Second Division also said Erice’s “act of propagating false information across multiple platforms demonstrates his deliberate intent to disrupt elections rather than legitimate criticism.”

“With the use of multiple media platforms to circulate these false statements, he is amplifying their potential to cause public alarm, voter confusion and damage to the integrity of the electoral system in the country,” it added. 

'Flimsy'

In a statement on his Facebook account, Erice called the disqualification case against him "flimsy" and said, "I am confident the SC [Supreme Court] will not allow this."

"I will pursue the cases I filed [against] the Comelec officials and we will fight for country and people," he added.

To recall, Erice has repeatedly called on the SC to declare null and void the P17.99-billion contract between the Comelec and Miru Systems for the 2025 elections. 

In November, Erice filed with the SC a supplement to an earlier petition, seeking to junk the agreement. 

Erice likewise filed an anti-graft and corruption practice complaint against Comelec Chair George Garcia with the Office of the Ombudsman over the Miru deal. — BM, GMA Integrated News