Manila: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday upheld the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision to disqualify Matt Erwin Florido from running as representative of the third district in Quezon province in the May 2025 elections for vote-buying. ‘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,’ the court said in a statement.

According to Philippines News Agency, a complaint by a group of registered voters and residents of Buenavista, Quezon alleged that during a gathering on April 5 and 6, 2025, Florido’s camp distributed PHP1,000 bills along with free food, shirts, and transportation to solicit votes in his favor. Florido denied the allegations and filed a petition with the SC, claiming that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion. He argued that the event was meant only for his campaign volunteers, not for the general public.

However, the SC dismissed his petition, ruling that the Comelec’s findings were supported by substantial evidence. The SC noted that the event was not exclusive to campaign staff and was clearly intended to gain electoral support. The court further noted that the distribution of cash and other items was not properly documented or liquidated, contradicting Florido’s claim that these were campaign-related expenses.

‘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. ‘Florido’s active presence at the event, including delivering a campaign speech and interacting with attendees, also showed his knowledge and implied approval of the vote-buying activities.’