By Tracy Cabrera
Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson hit three minority senators over their motives in favoring the petition seeking to unseat Sen. Erwin as something that undermines justice and fairness.
In a social media post, the veteran legislator criticized the three senator-members of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) who voted in favor of the motion for reconsideration filed by disbarred lawyer and blogger Berten ‘Toto’ Causing.
According to the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Causing’s motion had been filed beyond the deadline by a petitioner who is without legal standing.
“Justice and fairness went out of the window when three minority senator-members voted in favor of an out-of-time motion for reconsideration filed by a petitioner without legal standing,” Lacson cited.
“Their motive may be deeper than personal issues against Sen. Tulfo,” he added.
All four members of the minority bloc senators, namely Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and senators Pilar Juliana ‘Pia’ Cayetano, Robin ‘Robinhood’ Padilla and Camille Villar-Genuino, who sit on the SET were present during its hearing on Friday, October 16.
The SET denied Causing’s motion for reconsideration, which included an amended petition for quo warranto, in a 6-3 vote. The petition challenged Tulfo’s legal right to hold public office.
Causing, a former journalist and now social media blogger, had sought to reverse the tribunal’s March resolution that summarily dismissing his original quo warranto petition against Tulfo for being insufficient in form.
Csusing’s petition sought Tulfo’s removal from the Senate on allegations of disloyalty to the Philippines and allegiance to the United States, ineligibility based on his citizenship, membership in a political dynasty and lack of academic qualifications.
Causing was also among those who filed two disqualification cases against Tulfo when the latter was running for senator in the 2025 midterm elections. The petitions raised several grounds, including Tulfo’s libel convictions and questions surrounding his American citizenship.
However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) later dismissed both petitions for failure to submit proof of service with complete annexes to the respondent.
