Gabriela officially proclaimed as winning party list in May 2025 polls

The Gabriela Women’s Party, represented by first nominee Sarah Elago, formally claims the 64th party-list seat in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. — Photo by DIANNE SAMPANG / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Gabriela Women’s Party was officially proclaimed on Wednesday by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, a winning party list in the May 2025 elections.

The proclamation held at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila, was attended by the party list’s first nominee Sarah Elago.

Gabriela Women’s Party ranked 55th in the party-list race, with a total of 256,811 votes.

Other party lists in the Makabayan Coalition, such as ACT Teachers’ Party-list and Kabataan Party-list, earlier secured seats in the House of Representatives.

READ: Gabriela to get 64th party-list seat in House, says Comelec

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia announced last Sunday that Gabriela Women’s Party would take the 64th party-list seat in the House of Representatives in compliance with a Comelec resolution increasing party-list seats from 63 to 64.

Garcia previously said that he wrote to the Comelec en banc, stressing that the allocation of party-list seats in the lower must be 64, in line with the 1987 Constitution.

He explained that allotting only 63 seats, which is less than 20 percent of the party-list seats in the lower chamber, could violate the Constitution.

Republic Act 7941 or the Party-list System Act mandates that party-list representatives should comprise 20 percent of all House members.

READ: Gabriela seeks proclamation after cancellation of Duterte Youth

Elago dedicated the party-list’s “victory” to the women who stand up for a genuine representation in the lower chamber.

“Expect that we will continue what Gabriela Women’s Party started by standing up for the rights of women, LGBTQIA+, children and the nation,” she said in an interview after the proclamation.

She said that the party-list is ready to lobby for legislations for a livable wage, genuine agrarian reform and lowering the prices of basic goods.

In a statement on Tuesday, Elago welcomed Comelec’s invitation of the “long-overdue proclamation” of Gabriela Women’s Party.

She added that the party-list will strengthen measures on Anti-Violence Against Women and Children, Anti-Rape Law and Safe Spaces Act, as well as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression bill, among others.

After the proclamation, Elago took oath of office before a presiding judge and is set to take her oath as a member of the House of Representatives before the House speaker.

Despite the House leadership change, Elago said that she aims to take her oath before the House speaker on Wednesday.

Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez stepped down earlier Wednesday as a House Speaker, and was replaced by Deputy Speaker and Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy III.

“For Gabriela Women’s Party, any delay is unacceptable, not even a day. Gabriela has long been ready to pass bills,” she noted. /das/apl