Former journalist and current senator Erwin Tulfo. (Photo from politiko.com.ph)
In an unexpected turn of events, the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) has bared that Senator Erwin Tulfo is currently facing legal action challenging over his right to be in office due to a question of citizenship
This was revealed by SET deputy secretary Eleanor Francisco-Anunciacion during the agency’s budget hearing where she disclosed that the tribunal is handling a quo warranto petition filed last July 15 or two months since newly elected senators were proclaimed winners.
“For case adjudication, we have a petition for quo warranto against one of the members of the Senate filed on July 15, 2025 on the ground of alleged ineligibility due to citizenship,” Francisco-Anunciacion told the Senate finance committee.
Although the SET did not verbally mention Tulfo nor details of his case during the said hearing, its presentation apparently indicated that disbarred lawyer Berteni ‘Toto’ Causing filed the case against Tulfo.
During Tulfo’s 2025 Senate campaign, Causing had also filed a disqualification case, citing grounds of moral turpitude due to his libel conviction, citizenship, political dynasty membership and failure to prove academic qualifications.
This was dismissed, however, by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to technicality and lack of merit. The case of being a political dynasty against Tulfo, along with other relatives running for elections, was likewise dismissed by the poll body.
In the meantime, Tulfo reacted to the situation by saying he is aware there is a pending case against him before the SET and he is ready to face it.