Former poll commissioner Guanzon is substitute rep for P3PWD party-list
MANILA, Philippines — Former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has received the greenlight from the Comelec to represent Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) as the party-list's first nominee.
Comelec, sitting en banc on Wednesday, approved the Law Department’s recommendation documents submitted by P3PWD yesterday for the withdrawal and replacement of their original nominees.
In a message to reporters, Comelec acting spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the en banc has decided to “give due course” to the P3PWD’s new list of nominees.
P3PWD nominees resigned: Grace Yeneza, Ira Paulo Pozon, Marianne Heidi Cruz Fullon, Peter Jonas David, and Lily Grace Tiangco
— Kaycee Valmonte (@kayceevalmonte) June 14, 2022
P3PWD's new nominees: Rowena Guanzon, Rosalie Garcia, Cherrie Belmonte-Lim, Donnabel Tenorio, and Rodolfo Villar Jr.
Documents were sent this afternoon
Laudiangco clarified that that Guanzon was not involved granting P3PWD’s registration as a party-list organization. The Comelec 2nd Division then included Commissioner Socorro Inting and Commissioner Antonio Kho Jr.
Guanzon’s official nomination comes over six months since the poll body’s substitution deadline for party-list substitution, which was set last year on Nov. 15. Guanzon retired from the poll body in February.
Asked if the Comelec en banc’s decision would make the country’s party-list system more vulnerability, Comelec acting spokesman Laudiangco disagreed.
"The candidate in the party-list system of representation would be the party-list groups," Laudiangco said in Filipino.
"Unless there is a clarificatory amendment to RA 7941, particularly on Sections 8 and 16, this would be the rule to be followed by the Commission in similar cases."
Laudiangco also pointed out that it is not the first time that all party-list nominees backed out from their nominations after winning the elections.
"In all instances, the ruling of the Commission had been consistent," Laudiangco said.
In 2019, when the Duterte Youth Party-list tried to file documents for their substitute-nominees, then sitting Comelec Commissioner Guanzon denied their nominations, saying they failed to file their certificates of nomination and acceptance before the deadline on top of failing to meet the age requirement for Youth Sector nominees.
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