FILE PHOTO: Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia. INQUIRER / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — For Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia, it would be better for Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) party-list not to appeal the Supreme Court (SC) decision on ex-Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon.
He said while the SC ruling barred Guanzon’s attempt to become the first nominee of the P3PWD, they could still assume their seat in the House of Representatives immediately.
“If I were them, it would be better not to appeal because the decision of the Supreme Court is really good, they could immediately assume a seat in Congress,” Garcia said in an ambush interview on Thursday during the sidelines of a Commission on Human Rights event in Quezon City.
READ: Comelec to allow CHR observers in the 2025 elections
The SC also nullified the nominations of Rosalie Garcia, Cherie Belmonte-Lim, Donnabel Tenorio, and Rodolfo Villar.
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The P3PWD has yet to submit the names of their new nominees.
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“We will wait until they submit the names of their new nominees, and we would proclaim them immediately because they need representation in Congress,” Garcia said.
In the 2022 polls, the P3PWD secured 391,174 votes, giving them one seat in the House.
All of its original nominees submitted their resignation or withdrawal to the Comelec to give way to Guanzon.
But Guanzon’s substitution was challenged by the Duterte Youth party-list, who filed a petition questioning her nomination before the SC, noting that her application was filed only after the deadline.
In a ruling only shared with the media on Wednesday, the SC granted the Duterte Youth’s petition.
READ: SC declares null and void Guanzon’s substitution for P3PWD party-list
The high court then ordered P3PWD to submit additional nominees and prohibited the group from renominating the nominees whose substitutions had been invalidated.
P3PWD is seeking a House comeback in 2025 midterm polls, with Guanzon serving as the party-list first nominee.
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READ: Ex-Comelec exec Guanzon guns for House seat to represent PWDs