The Commission on Elections will issue its decision on the disqualification case against members of the Tulfo family by the 2nd or 3rd week of March. 

Comelec to decide on plea to disqualify Tulfos in midterm polls

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said members of the Comelec division tasked to review the disqualification plea are resolving a technical issue before issuing its summons to the Tulfo family.

“Pasasagutin sila, limang araw matapos matanggap ang summons, pagkatapos submitted for decision yung kaso,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

“Second week or third week ng March ay ilalabas ang decision ng Comelec division.”

In his petition, Virgilio Garcia said the respondents are part of the same family, the arrangement of which is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution due to a ban on political dynasties.

“They are within the first and second civil degree of consanguinity or of affinity of each other,” the petition read.

“Respondents are all related to incumbent Senator Rafael Teshiba Tulfo (a.k.a. Raffy Tulfo) within the first or second civil degree of consanguinity or of affinity. Respondents Cong. Erwin, Ben and Wanda Tulfo - Teo are younger siblings of Senator Raffy Tulfo. Respondent Cong. Jocelyn Pua - Tulfo is the wife of Senator Raffy, while respondent Cong. Ralph is their son,” it added. 

“There is already an existing anomalous scandalous father mother son in congress and this family want to add three more making a total of seven of them, all in same Congress. That is clearly a concentration of political power in one family,” Garcia said. 

Rep. Erwin Tulfo is running for senator in the May elections. 

Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, a reelectionist, is the wife of Sen. Raffy Tulfo.  

Jocelyn and Raffy’s son is Rep. Ralph Tulfo – a reelectionist for Quezon City's 2nd district. 

Tulfo-Teo, on the other hand, is the first nominee of Turismo party-list while Ben Tulfo is running for senator.

Erwin Tulfo, Garcia said, was “prevented from assuming” his post as secretary of the social welfare department due to issues on his citizenship. 

“He served in the U.S Army and had a U.S. passport using fictitious name. Surprisingly, intriguingly if you like, despite that disqualification he was allowed to assume as a party list nominee of ACT-CIS,” the petition read. 

Legal experts have said lack of an enabling law makes the provision against political dynasties unenforceable.