Napoles’ daughter can’t sit as party-list rep, for now

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday reported that the daughter of controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam, can’t sit as sectoral representative of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Congress – at least for now.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Jo Christine Napoles has not been listed among the nominees of the OFW Family Club Inc. (OFW Family) party-list in the last May 13 elections.

“The records of this commission show that when the (OFW Family Club) party-list submitted its manifestation, they have five nominees and Napoles is not among them,” Brillantes said.

The OFW Family’s nominees in the last elections were Roy Señeres Sr., Juan Johnny Revilla, Roy Señeres Jr., Hannah Francisco, and Melchor Rosales.

Since the OFW Family Club garnered a total of 750,753 votes in the last elections, Brillantes said it has earned two seats, which were eventually given to Señeres Sr. and Revilla.

Señeres Sr. earlier announced that they are looking to give one of its two seats in the House of Representatives to Napoles.

The group decided to give the seat to Napoles after a complaint was filed questioning the citizenship of Revilla before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).

Brillantes said the party-list group couldn’t just appoint a replacement for Revilla without the approval of Comelec. 

He explained that while replacing nominees is the prerogative of the party-list, Brillantes said Napoles as possible replacement of Revilla as sitting congressman is for the commission to determine.

“That is a party-list issue already. If Revilla is unseated by the HRET, we will have to determine who should replace him (as number three nominee),” explained Brillantes.

Brillantes noted that Napoles’ name only came after the resignation of Señeres Jr., Francisco, and Rosales as party-list nominees after the elections.