MANILA, Philippines — Senator Erwin Tulfo has expressed belief that the votes cast by certain Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) members against dismissing a petition challenging his Senate seat were intended to remove him from his position.
“Eh to unseat po, maalis po tayo sa Senado,” Tulfo said in a media interview, referring to what he gathered from reports regarding the tribunal’s proceedings.
The neophyte senator, however, admitted he was neither present during last week’s SET meeting nor had he received an official briefing on the outcome.
“Sabi po nung mga sa nababasa ko lang po, kasi wala po ako noon, hindi ko pa nakikita, wala naman ako. [Hindi] binigyan ng report,” he explained.
Tulfo questioned the persistent legal challenges filed against him by petitioner Berteni Cataluña Causing, pointing out that the petitioner had previously pursued a motion for reconsideration before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) prior to elevating the matter to the SET.
He maintained that the concerns raised in the petition—such as his citizenship and the lack of constitutional prohibitions against political dynasties—had already been resolved by the poll body, adding that the challenge was filed past the allowed deadline.
On Friday, the SET officially dismissed the amended quo warranto petition on procedural grounds, citing untimely filing alongside failures to meet proper service and filing requirements. The petition sought Tulfo’s disqualification based on allegations of American citizenship, disloyalty, breach of the anti-political dynasty provision, and lack of academic credentials.
An earlier quo warranto case against him was similarly dismissed by the tribunal on March 2 for being insufficient in form.
Despite expressing surprise that some of his Senate colleagues voted against dismissing the complaint—noting his good working relationships with them—Tulfo respected their prerogative.
“I didn’t expect, pero karapatan naman po nila ‘ yon eh. So hindi naman natin pwedeng pigilin. That’s their right,” he stated.