SC upholds Comelec ruling on Quezon candidate disqualification

Seeking to remove doubts about the legality of the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) ruling, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday announced that it upheld the disqualification of Matt Erwin Florido as representative of Quezon Province due to alleged vote buying.

According to a statement, the SC ruled that the findings of the poll body were supported by substantial evidence.

This stemmed from a complaint filed by registered voters and residents of Buenavista, alleging that Florido’s camp distributed P1,000 bills along with free food, shirts, and transportation during a gathering on April 5 and 6.

In his petition with the SC, Florido said that Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion and argued that the event was only for his campaign volunteers.

The SC, however, noted that the event was not exclusive to campaign staff. It said that the event was clearly intended to gain electoral support.

Aside from this, the SC said the distribution of cash and other items were not properly documented or liquidated.

“The SC emphasized that the lack of receipts, logbooks, or other records indicated that the funds were used to influence voters — constituting vote-buying under the Omnibus Election Code,” it said in a statement.

According to the High Court, Florido’s presence at the event also showed his knowledge and implied his approval.

“Although Florido ultimately lost in the 2025 elections, the SC still resolved the case to remove any doubts about the legality of the COMELEC’s decision,” it said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News