Erwin Tulfo is now a congressman but with limitations amid looming disqualification case

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo takes oath before Majority Floor Leader and Zamboanga 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe on May 30, 2023. Photo from Office of Rep. Erwin Tulfo

MANILA, Philippines —Despite being sworn into the House of Representatives, party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo faces limitations in his fresh role – thanks to a pending motion of reconsideration tethered to a disqualification case against him.

“Remember there is an MR before the Commission on Elections right now so that has to be resolved. I was informed by the House leadership that, yes you can assume as the third member of the ACT-CIS party-list, yes you’re a member of Congress, but there would be limitations,” Tulfo told reporters in a mix of English and Filipino.

Tulfo took his oath of office before Majority Floor Leader and Zamboanga 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe on Tuesday, May 30, as representative for Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist or ACT-CIS.

Tulfo mentioned Dalipe’s statement that he cannot vote or join House sessions and committee meetings yet.

He might join the House sessions after they resume on July 24, during the State of the Nation Address (Sona), if the issue is resolved by then since Wednesday is the last day.

“Hopefully, the MR will be resolved [by] the House leadership and I think Comelec promised that they would resolve it within two to three weeks. So before Sona, it would all be resolved,” said Tulfo.

READ: Comelec halts proclamation of Erwin Tulfo as ACT-CIS party-list nominee due to DQ case

For now, however, Tulfo may be able to fix his office and staff and establish his office’s ethics and rules. He said he will also study how to file a law in the interim.

“There’s a lot of things to learn in Congress. Probably attend some seminar on how to file bills and all that. I have many bills listed, about 120 of them but I have to learn on how to do it,”he said.

The Comelec has previously suspended Tulfo’s appointment as ACT-CIS nominee due to a disqualification case filed against the media personality.

But on May 25, the poll body said its second division has dismissed the disqualification case against Tulfo, resulting in the eventual filing of an MR by the petitioner.

The Comelec said the decision of its second division was based on the lack of jurisdiction since the petition was filed nine months after the ACT-CIS party-list won the 2022 national and local elections.

RELATED STORIES

CA bypasses Tulfo, Pascual for 2nd time

Libel conviction puts Tulfo’s confirmation in limbo

kga/abc