MANILA — The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) has officially dismissed the motion for reconsideration seeking to overturn the earlier junking of a quo warranto petition against Senator Erwin Tulfo regarding citizenship concerns.
In an official statement released by SET Secretary Luis Jose Geronimo, the tribunal announced that the ruling was finalized with a six-to-three vote among its members.
The tribunal rejected the motion—which also incorporated an amended quo warranto petition lodged by Berteni Cataluña Causing—primarily because it “failed to comply” with standard filing and service protocols outlined in the 2020 SET Rules.
Additionally, the SET noted that the legal filing was “filed beyond the period prescribed” under the governing regulations.
The tribunal further pointed out that Causing’s amended petition “remained insufficient in form.”
Despite the setback, the SET clarified that the dismissal was handed down without prejudice to the submission of any alternative petition.
Causing initially initiated the legal action to unseat Tulfo from the Senate chamber, challenging his constitutional eligibility to hold public office over allegations of holding American citizenship. The petitioner additionally charged Tulfo with professing loyalty to the United States, belonging to a political dynasty, and possessing deficient educational qualifications.
Aside from the SET challenge, Causing had previously launched a disqualification case against Tulfo during his campaign in the 2025 midterm elections, citing multiple arguments such as disqualification stemming from a 2008 libel conviction.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ultimately threw out two separate disqualification complaints against Tulfo after determining that the complainants failed to satisfy essential procedural mandates.