The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected a petition seeking to disqualify controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy from running in the 2025 senatorial elections, citing procedural flaws and lack of merit.
In a resolution dated December 18, the Comelec 1st Division said the petitioners, labor leader Sonny Matula and the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP), failed to follow proper procedural rules. The petition combined multiple grounds and remedies, which the poll body deemed improper.
The resolution further stated that the disqualification arguments presented against Quiboloy lacked factual and legal basis. “There is a dearth of evidence presented by Petitioner that could convince us that respondent should be declared a nuisance candidate,” the resolution read.
Quiboloy, a known ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in September 2024 and faces various legal cases, including charges of sexual abuse, child abuse, and trafficking in the Philippines. He has also been on the FBI’s most-wanted list since 2022 for alleged sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering.
Despite these allegations, Comelec clarified that ongoing cases do not bar a candidate from running unless there is a final conviction. “Such final decision is lacking in this case as the criminal cases filed against [Quiboloy] are still pending and awaiting decision,” the resolution stated.
Concerns over Quiboloy’s certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) were also dismissed by Comelec, which ruled that any issue with the CONA would merely classify him as an independent candidate. The poll body emphasized that being a member of a political party is not a constitutional requirement for running as a senator.
Quiboloy filed his certificate of candidacy in October through a representative, and Comelec found no evidence that he intended to deceive the electorate. His eligibility remains intact under the 1987 Constitution’s requirements for senatorial candidates.
