Manila: A petition has been filed before the Commission on Elections asking for the disqualification of the Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) party-list group for falsely suggesting an association with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

According to Philippines News Agency, in his petition dated March 7, lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez argued that the PBBM party-list could 'mislead voters into believing there is an association between the party-list and the President when there is none.' Ramirez contends that the party-list may be exploiting party-list registration for 'political and financial motivations.'

The petition references the PBBM party-list's registration with Comelec on September 21, 2023, in which the party claimed to exclusively represent the Calabarzon Region, which includes Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. However, when Comelec published the list of nominees on October 24, 2024, it was revealed that eight of the nominees were from Abra, one from Cagayan, and one from Quezon City.

Ramirez emphasized that 'It cannot be overemphasized that PBBM did not field a single nominee from Calabarzon -- the very region the party claimed to represent,' stating that this constitutes a clear violation of the party's registration requirements and a misrepresentation in its petition for registration.

The petition cites violations of Republic Act 7941 (Party-List System Act) and Section 2(f), (g), and (j) of Comelec Resolution 9366. It accuses 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.'

Ramirez further stated, '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.' In support of his petition, Ramirez referenced 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.

He called for the immediate cancellation of PBBM's registration, barring the party-list from participating in the upcoming elections and preventing the proclamation of any of its nominees. The Comelec has yet to set a hearing date for the petition.