Comelec en banc affirms disqualification of PBBM party-list
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Election (Comelec) Second Division’s ruling to disqualify regional party-list group Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) was affirmed by the poll body en banc.
In its resolution promulgated on May 7, the Comelec en banc rejected the motion for reconsideration filed by PBBM, who the Comelec Second Division disqualified over alleged irregularities in the declared residence of its nominees.
“[T]he Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES to DENY the Motion for Reconsideration of PILIPINAS BABANGON MULI (PBBM) PARTY LIST dated 28 April 2025,”
“The Resolution of the Commission (Second Division) dated 23 April 2025 is hereby AFFIRMED,” it added.
PBBM is a regional party-list seeking to represent Calabarzon.
READ: DQ case filed vs PBBM party-list group
But a March 7 disqualification petition filed by Jess Christian Ramirez said that “none of its programs, activities, or nominees are connected to or originate from the said region.”
The Comelec Second Division ruling noted that Section 6 of the Republic Act No. 7941 states that declaring untruthful statements in its petition may lead to canceling a party-list’s registration.
On Sept. 21, 2023, the PBBM party list filed a petition for accreditation as a regional political party, saying it operates in the region and has its headquarters in Taal, Batangas.
But one of the salient arguments of Ramirez’s petition was that all of the party list’s 10 nominees declared their residence to be outside the Calabarzon region.
Eight nominees are from Abra, one from Cagayan province, and one from Quezon City.
Section 3(c) of the RA No. 7941 said: “It is a national party when its constituency is spread over the geographical territory of at least a majority of the regions. regional party when its constituency is spread over the geographical territory of most of the cities and provinces comprising the region.”
According to the Comelec division, this means that all nominees cannot be considered bona fide members of a regional political party purporting to represent Calabarzon.
The en banc’s resolution stated that the body “finds no cogent reason to depart from the findings” of the Comelec Second Division.
PBBM party-list, which is listed as the 7th party-list in the 2025 midterm ballots, could still elevate their case to the Supreme Court.
READ: Comelec division DQ’d PBBM party-list over alleged irregularities
