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ABS 2025
Comelec junked nuisance petition vs. Quiboloy
By J.Lo
“Petition deserves scant consideration for being unmeritorious and should be dismissed,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ruled in favor of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy after poll body dismissed petition by political party asking that religious leader be declared nuisance candidate and his certificate of candidacy (COC) for May 2025 elections be canceled.
Comelec First Division junked petition filed by Workers and Peasants Party (WPP) president Jose Sonny Matula.
According to First Division, petition is being dismissed as it is not in accordance with rules of Comelec , wherein petition to declare one as nuisance bet cannot be combined with other prayers.
“Given above-mentioned circumstance, instant petition suffers from procedural defect that warrants its outright dismissal,” ruling noted.
First Division noted petitioner failed to prove respondent was nuisance candidate.
Comelec also said claim Quiboloy’s candidacy is “mere strategy” for him to evade criminal prosecution or to deflect attention from criminal cases filed against him is not enough grounds to declare him as nuisance bet.
“There is nothing in our prevailing laws or jurisprudence that bars aspiring candidatefrom waging electoral campaign during pendency of civil or criminal case, this Commission cannot declare respondent as nuisance candidate based merely on speculations and unsubstantiated allegations of petitioner,” First Division noted.
It also pointed out that use of unauthorized Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) is not enough to cancel his COC due to alleged material misrepresentation.
“Clearly, membership or nomination by political party is not among qualifications for position of senator…thus, submission of CONA signed by unauthorized individual is not equivalent to material misrepresentation that will affect respondent’s eligibility,” Comelec said.
In response to Comelec’s decision, WPP said poll body’s decision on Quiboloy’s candidacy doesn’t worry them.
While clarifying that they have not yet received official copy of Comelec’s resolution, WPP said “even before promulgation of decision, we had already achieved our first and primary objective since Mr. Quiboloy voluntarily disassociated himself from WPP, shortly after realizing that WPP is no push over.”
“On this matter, we can confidently say we have already secured significant victory,” party added.
Last October, Quiboloy filed his COC to run for senator in the May 2025 polls through his representative Mark Tolentino.
KOJC leader’s COC included attachment of his CONA from WPP with Tolentino as signatory.
Matula questioned legitimacy of Quiboloy’s CONA, led to WPP filing petition before Comelec against religious leader, saying his certificate was submitted by unauthorized persons and without party’s consent.
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