Comelec en banc affirms Quiboloy’s Senate bid

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

FILE: KOJC leader Apollo Quiboloy. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied the motion for reconsideration seeking to block the senatorial bid of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder and alleged child abuser Apollo Quiboloy.

In a seven-page ruling made public on Friday, the Comelec en banc dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by labor leader Sonny Matula, citing lack of merit.

The Comelec said no valid ground was raised in the motion that would compel the body to rule against the First Division.

“We find no cogent reason to depart from the Assailed Resolution of the Commission (First Division). The arguments raised by Petitioner in his Motion were already thoroughly passed upon and incisively examined by the Commission,” the ruling added.

The en banc noted that the procedural and substantive issues raised by Matula had already been addressed by the First Division when it decided to allow the televangelist to run in the Senate.

“At the outset, the combination of different remedies and prayers in a petition to declare as nuisance candidate or disqualification or cancellation of a certificate ground is a ground for summary dismissal, and this is clearly and explicitly mandated by our rules,” the decision said.

The poll body also emphasized that even if procedural flaws in the petition were overlooked, the substantive issues were exhaustively discussed and resolved by the First Division.