Labor lawyer, workers’ group ask Supreme Court to disqualify Quiboloy
After failing to convince the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to grant their petition, labor lawyer Sonny Matula and the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP) have turned to the Supreme Court in their bid to have detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy disqualified from running in the May elections.
In their petition for certiorari filed on Wednesday, Matula and the WPP urged the high court to overturn the decision of the poll body, which earlier declared as valid Quiboloy’s candidacy for the Senate.
In a decision dated Dec. 18 last year, the Comelec’s First Division dismissed the petition seeking to disqualify Quiboloy and cancel his certificate of nomination and acceptance, saying that the grounds presented were insufficient and lacked factual and legal basis.
In an en banc decision nine days later, the poll body affirmed the dismissal of the petition filed by Matula and the WPP as it denied their motion for reconsideration.
In their petition before the high tribunal, Matula cited the Comelec’s “double standard,” arguing that while the poll body had been rigid in requiring petitioners to strictly observe procedural rules, “it has shown undue leniency, if not ignored the application of rules toward Quiboloy.”
Matula noted that despite getting a notice on Nov. 4, 2024, that required him to file an answer within five days, Quiboloy—or his representative—submitted a reply only on Dec. 10, or over a month late, without any valid justification.
“Instead of penalizing this clear violation of its directive, the Comelec dismissed the petition without even a word of admonishment to respondent Quiboloy, effectively rewarding noncompliance and undermining public trust in the fairness of its rulings,” he said.
Matula also pointed out that since the founder of the religious sect Kingdom of Jesus Christ is currently detained in the Pasig City Jail for criminal cases such as qualified human trafficking and child abuse, he would be unable to conduct a nationwide campaign.
“Allowing Quiboloy to run for office while facing such severe allegations sends a troubling message to the public. It trivializes the electoral process and undermines its purpose as a mechanism for selecting leaders genuinely committed to public service,” he said.
Quiboloy is also facing several criminal charges in the United States, including conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.
