Comelec junks petition to disqualify Quiboloy in Eleksyon 2025

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed a petition seeking to disqualify detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy from running in the 2025 elections.

In a decision, the Comelec First Division said "there is a dearth of evidence presented by Petitioner that could convince us that the Respondent should be declared as a nuisance candidate."

The petition filed by labor leader Sonny Matula alleged Quiboloy of "material misrepresentation" and asked Comelec to disqualify him as a senatorial candidate saying that the latter's nomination by the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party  (WPP) “had no factual and legal basis.” 

Matula had said the certificate of nomination and acceptance of Quiboloy was signed by a certain Mark Tolentino, whom he alleged was not an officer or member of the WPP.

Comelec, however, said it had to dismiss the petition due to Matula's failure to comply with its rules that “petition to declare a candidate as a nuisance candidate cannot be combined with other grounds for a separate remedy."

The poll body added that the current petition provided grounds that were “incorrect and without factual and legal evidence.”

COMELEC noted in its decision that Matula “failed to prove that [Quiboloy] was a nuisance candidate” and that submitting an unauthorized CONA was not tantamount to “material misrepresentation.”

“The Petitioner maintained that Respondent’s submission of an unauthorized CONA was a violation of WPP’s and this Commission’s rules, and that it was a clear ground for the cancellation of his COC. We do not agree,” the decision read.

“It could be determined that the argument relied upon by the Petitioner is patently erroneous. When the Commission denies due course to or cancels a candidate’s COC, this is due to a finding that the candidate made a material misrepresentation in his or her COC which is false… Clearly, membership or nomination by political party is not among the qualifications for the position of Senator. Thus, the submission of a CONA that was signed by unauthorized individual is not equivalent to material misrepresentation that will affect the Respondent’s eligibility,” it continued.

On October 21, Quiboloy announced that he would continue his bid for senator as an independent bet for Eleksyon 2025.

"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," a letter penned by the pastor read. —LDF, GMA Integrated News