SC junks disqualification case vs. Edgar Erice

The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition seeking to disqualify Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice from running in the 2025 elections.

In a 17-page decision, the SC En Banc reversed the ruling of the Commission on Elections that earlier disqualified Erice for violating the Omnibus Election Code.

“The Comelec gravely abused its discretion in disqualifying petitioner Erice for violation of Section 261(z) of the Omnibus Election Code,” it said.

According to the SC, a candidate can only be disqualified if a competent court has already found them guilty of violating the code or the Local Government Code in a separate proceeding.

“Simply put, it is the final decision finding the party guilty of a violation of the Local Government Code or the Omnibus Election Code that shall serve as the basis for their disqualification,” the SC said.

“This means that the finding of guilt was done in a prior proceeding separate from the disqualification case itself,” it added.

In a statement, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said that despite the dismissal of Erice’s disqualification case, the Supreme Court reminded the public that spreading false, alarming information to disrupt voting and mislead voters is an election offense.

“The High Court likewise pointed out the important elements of this offense. The ruling is so timely, especially in this age of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news,” Garcia said.

“As a precedent- setting case, the Court solidified the foremost authority of the Comelec to investigate and prosecute possible violation of this law. We bow to the wisdom of the Court,” he added.

In November 2024, the poll body granted a petition seeking to disqualify Erice for supposedly making “unsubstantiated yet disturbing and damaging statements” against the Comelec and the upcoming elections in various newspaper, online, and radio reports.

The Comelec affirmed this decision in December 2024.

The SC in January then granted Erice’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from disqualifying him.

In its ruling, the SC said that the Comelec did not follow the proper procedure as it decided to directly rule on whether Erice is guilty.

“This cannot be permitted. The Comelec cannot skip the processes laid down in our laws, no matter how noble the cause of protecting the integrity of the elections may be,” it said.

The SC also said that the prohibition against spreading false or alarming information is not one of the grounds for disqualification under Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code.

The decision, penned by Associate Justice Jean Paul Inting, was promulgated in July 2025 and made public in October. —AOL/RF, GMA Integrated News