G.R. No. 277784 - ATTY. JOSE SONNY G. MATULA, AS SENATORIAL ASPIRANT, AND THE WORKERS' AND PEASANTS' PARTY (WPP), VS. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS (COMELEC) AND PASTOR APOLLO C. QUIBOLOY.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

Accordingly, the right to participate as a candidate in the electoral process is not absolute. [3] For instance, the State and the people have a compelling interest in disqualifying nuisance candidates. [4] The Court has ruled that in doing so, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) may consider a candidate's lack of bona fide intention to run for public office, such as a candidate's ability to organize a campaign, or past record of service. [5] Subject to these considerations, it is not for the COMELEC or the Court to decide who among qualified aspiring candidates deserve an opportunity to run for public office. Ultimately, the design of our democracy reserves that choice for the people. This resolves a Petition for Certiorari [6] under Rule 64 in relation to Rule 65 of the Rules of Court filed by Atty. Jose Sonny G. Matula (Matula) and the Workers' and Peasants' Party (WPP), assailing the December 18, 2024 Resolution [7] of the COMELEC First Division and the December 27, 2024 Resolution [8] of the COMELEC En Banc . The COMELEC denied Matula and WPP's Petition [9] to deny due course to or cancel the certificate of candidacy of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy (Quiboloy). Quiboloy, through his lawyer Atty. Mark Tolentino (Tolentino), [10] filed a Certificate of Candidacy for senator in the 2025 national elections. Attached to it was a Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance signed by Tolentino stating that Quiboloy had been nominated by WPP. [11] This prompted Matula and WPP to file the Petition to deny due course to or cancel the certificate of candidacy of Quiboloy or declare him a nuisance candidate. Matula and WPP denied that Quiboloy was nominated by WPP. They alleged that Quiboloy's Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance was signed by a person who was neither an officer nor a member of WPP. Thus, Matula and WPP asserted that Quiboloy made a material misrepresentation warranting his disqualification and the cancellation of his Certificate of Candidacy. Matula and WPP further argued that Quiboloy should be declared a nuisance candidate, claiming that he only filed a Certificate of Candidacy to deflect attention from the criminal cases for qualified human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors filed against him. [12] In a Comment/Opposition, Tolentino insisted that he is an authorized signatory for WPP as its president. [13] Pursuant to the summons issued by the COMELEC First Division, Quiboloy filed a Verified Answer. Quiboloy argued that his Certificate of Candidacy did not contain material misrepresentation as he believed in good faith that Tolentino had authority to sign the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance. He noted that Tolentino and other persons have a petition pending with the COMELEC praying that they be declared legitimate officers of WPP. Further, even if Tolentino did not have authority to sign the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance, Quiboloy stressed that this, as well as the pendency of criminal cases against him, is no