DQ sought vs party-list faking link with Marcos Jr.

BAGUIO CITY (March 19, 2025)— The Commission on Elections is being asked to disqualify Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) party-list group for allegedly suggesting an association with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.



Lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez in petitioning the poll body on March 7, 2025 said, “the PBBM party-list could “mislead voters into believing there is an association between the party-list and the President, when there is none.”

The party-list may be exploiting party-list registration for “political and financial motivations,” Ramirez believed. 

The DQ petition cited that the PBBM party-list in its September 21, 2023 registration with Comelec, claimed to exclusively represent the Calabarzon Region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

But according to the Comelec-published list of nominees on Oct. 24, 2024, it revealed that eight of the nominees were from Abra, one from Cagayan, and one from Quezon City.

Atty. Ramirez added, “it cannot be overemphasized that PBBM did not field a single nominee from Calabarzon -- the very region the party claimed to represent.” This constitutes a clear violation of the party's registration requirements and a misrepresentation in its petition for registration, he stressed.

Ramirez cited violations of Republic Act 7941 (Party-List System Act) and Section 2(f), (g), and (j) of Comelec Resolution 9366, accusing PBBM of “making untruthful statements, misrepresenting its regional affiliation and attempting to deceive voters by fielding nominees who do not meet the legal qualifications for Calabarzon.”

“The fact that PBBM’s nominees are not from Calabarzon renders them ineligible to become members of the party, let alone serve as its official nominees,” Ramirez reiterated.

Further stressing his point for Comelec to immediately cancel the registration of PBBM party-list, Ramirez cited the Atong Paglaum Inc. vs. Comelec case, which established that party-list nominees must be bona fide members of the party and represent the constituency they claim to serve.

The lawyer also called the poll body, which is yet to schedule a hearing on his petition, to bar the PBBM party-list from participating in the upcoming elections and prevent the proclamation of any of its nominees.