SET denies motion to junk quo warranto petition vs Erwin Tulfo amid citizenship issue

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The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) on Friday denied the motion for reconsideration for the dismissal of the quo warranto petition seeking the removal of Senator Erwin Tulfo from office due to his supposed citizenship issues.

In a statement signed by SET Secretary Luis Jose Geronimo, it was noted that the ruling was made with six members voting in favor, and three voting against.

The tribunal denied the motion for reconsideration with an amended petition for quo warranto filed by Berteni Cataluña Causing, as it “failed to comply” with the filing and service requirements of the 2020 SET Rules.

The motion was also reportedly “filed beyond the period prescribed” by the said rules, according to the SET.

The tribunal further said the amended petition of Causing “remained insufficient in form.”

The SET, however, emphasized that the motion was denied without prejudice to the filing of any other petition.

Causing earlier sought Tulfo’s removal as a sitting senator due to his supposed ineligibility on grounds of his alleged American citizenship.

The petitioner also accused the lawmaker of disloyalty to the Philippines and allegiance to the US, as well as belonging to a political dynasty and lacking academic qualifications.

Causing also filed a disqualification case against Tulfo when the latter was running for senator in the 2025 midterm elections. This was over multiple grounds, including disqualification due to a libel conviction in 2008.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) later dismissed two petitions seeking to disqualify Tulfo over the petitioners’ failure to observe certain requirements.

GMA News Online reached out to Tulfo’s office for a comment and will update this story once it responds. —RF, GMA News