COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has denied a petition seeking to disqualify detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy from running as a senatorial candidate in the 2025 elections.
In its ruling, the Comelec First Division stated, “There is a dearth of evidence presented by Petitioner that could convince us that the Respondent should be declared as a nuisance candidate.”
The petition, filed by labor leader Sonny Matula, accused Quiboloy of “material misrepresentation” and argued that his nomination by the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP) lacked a factual and legal basis.
Matula alleged that Quiboloy’s Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) was signed by Mark Tolentino, whom he claimed was not an authorized officer or member of the WPP.
Comelec dismissed the petition, citing procedural flaws and insufficient evidence. The poll body noted that a petition to declare a candidate a nuisance cannot be combined with other grounds for disqualification.
“The petitioner’s argument is patently erroneous,” the decision stated. “Membership or nomination by a political party is not among the qualifications for the position of senator.
Thus, submitting a CONA signed by an unauthorized individual does not constitute material misrepresentation that would affect the respondent’s eligibility.”
The Comelec further ruled that the petition failed to prove that Quiboloy was a nuisance candidate, emphasizing that submitting an unauthorized CONA does not automatically lead to disqualification.
In a letter dated October 21, Quiboloy announced his decision to run as an independent candidate, citing an ongoing intra-party dispute within the WPP.
“Given the ongoing intra-party dispute, I am revoking my acceptance as a nominee of WPP. I am therefore running as an independent candidate for senator in the 2025 NLE,” Quiboloy wrote.