Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Ben Tulfo, and Wanda Tulfo. File/composite

A petition has been filed at the Commission on Elections to disqualify Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo, Wanda Teo, and Ben Tulfo for supposedly not being qualified as candidates to seek public office.

Lawyer Virgilio Garcia, who filed the petition, alleged the Tulfos are part of a political dynasty and they do not possess "the essential requirement of being a natural-born Filipino citizen under the Constitution."

Garcia argued that the respondents were disqualified under the 1987 Constitution and lacked the qualifications required by the Constitution. 

In the petition, Garcia said the respondents are part of the same family, the arrangement of which is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution. 

“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.

 ISSUE ON CITIZENSHIP

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. 

“To prevent a mockery of our sacred election process, respondents, who all claim to be qualified to run for senator or for congressman, because they are natural-born Filipinos must prove before being qualified as a candidate that they are indeed natural-born Filipinos,” he said. 

Tulfo earlier this year admitted he was once an undocumented worker in the United States, also known by the colloquial term "TNT" or "tago nang tago."

He made the admission following allegations on social media that he used fraudulent identity to acquire an American passport.

Aside from this though, Garcia said on the petition that the respondents “resided in the United States for quite a long while.”

“They must show to the satisfaction of the Commission that indeed, they have all the qualifications required by the Constitution and none of the disqualifications by law,” he said in the petition. 

“As there can be no presumption of citizenship in favor of respondents, so too can there be a presumption of natural-born status. Any doubt whether respondents are natural-born Filipinos is resolved against them,” he added. 

‘USUAL AND ORDINARY PROCESS’

Comelec Chairman George Garcia told ABS-CBN News it will be assigned to a Comelec division tomorrow. 

"It will undergo the usual and ordinary process," Garcia said in a text message. 

The petition was dated Feb. 14, 2025, based on the Notary Public.