Palace warns vs party-list using Marcos Jr.’s name

BAGUIO CITY (April 22, 2025) – Malacanang warned voters Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not in any way linked with party-list groups using the Chief Executive’s name.

PBBM o Pilipinas Babangon Muli Party List, Palace Press Officer, Undersecretary Claire Castro said has nothing to do with Pres. Marcos Jr.



On March 7, 2025, Lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez petitioned the Commission on Elections to disqualify PBBM arguing, “(it) 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 stressed in his petition at the poll body. 

Ramirez’s 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 Comelec-published list of nominees on October 24, 2024 revealed that eight of the nominees of PBBM were from Abra, one from Cagayan, and one from Quezon City.

Ramirez further stressed, “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 reiterated.

Ramirez also 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 told the Comelec.

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 to bar the PBBM party-list from participating in the upcoming elections and prevent the proclamation of any of its nominees.

USec. Castro urged, “bagamat nagpapasalamat sila sa pagsuporta sa mga isinusulong na adhikain ng pamahalaan ngunit hindi dapat ikinakabit ang pangalan ng Pangulo sa pansariling agendang politikal.”  She appealed to voters to instead examine party-list groups’ agenda for the benefit of the country.