Comelec junks petition to disqualify Quiboloy from senatorial race

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has junked the petition to disqualify detained religious leader and alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy from the senatorial race in 2025, citing the absence of a final decision on his criminal cases.

On Friday, Dec. 20, the poll body’s first division released its decision on a petition filed by senatorial aspirant Sonny Matula who asked Comelec to cancel Quiboloy’s certificate of candidacy and declare him as a nuisance candidate.

Matula said the religious leader’s nomination had no factual and legal basis and was signed by an unauthorized individual, arguing that it’s equivalent to material misrepresentation. Quiboloy’s nomination was signed by a certain Mark Tolentino who was supposedly from the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party led by Matula.

Comelec said the petitioner further attested that the detained televangelist must be declared a nuisance candidate, alleging that Quiboloy was only deflecting public attention from numerous cases filed against him.

In response, Comelec said there is no legal basis to disqualify and declare Quiboloy as a nuisance candidate.

“Petitioner’s arguments that respondent should be disqualified because there are several cases filed against him are devoid of merit…Such final decision is lacking in this case,” the poll body ruled.

“There is nothing in our prevailing laws and jurisprudence that bars an aspiring candidate from waging an electoral campaign during the pendency of a civil or criminal case,” it added.

Comelec also said the filing of an unauthorized certificate of acceptance and nomination is not a ground for disqualification.

“It could be determined that a petition to declare a candidate as a nuisance candidate cannot be combined with grounds for a separate remedy, otherwise the petition will be summarily dismissed,” the poll body added.

Quiboloy has been detained since September for cases related to human trafficking, sexual and child abuse, among others.

He is also wanted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation for labor and sex crimes.

READ: TIMELINE: Legal challenges hounding Pastor Apollo Quiboloy