RETIRED poll commissioner Rowena Guanzon leads the new set of nominees of the Komunidad ng Pamilya Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) party-list, which won one seat in Congress during the May 2022 polls.
In a statement, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that the five previous nominees of P3PWD have resigned, with Guanzon leading the new set of nominees as filed with the agency’s Law Department.
“It filed a notarized Certificate of Nomination of P3PWD signed by Secretary General Donnabel C. Tenorio, listing as its new nominees in the following order the following: Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon, Rosalie J. Garcia, Cherrie B. Belmonte-Lim, Donnabel C. Tenorio, and Rodolfo B. Villar Jr.,” acting Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said.
Laudiangco added the party-list also “filed the notarized resignation letters of Grace S. Yeneza, Ira Paulo A. Pozon, Marianne Heidi C. Fullon, Peter Jonas R. David, and Lily Grace A. Tiangco.”
The substitution of Guanzon comes as no surprise. She had stated in her Facebook page as early as mid-May that she will become the substitute nominee of P3PWD.
During the May 9 polls, P3PWD won one of the 63 party-list seats in the House of Representatives after placing 24th in the race.
Laudiangco had previously said the substitution bid of Guanzon and company will be deliberated by the Commission en Banc.
“Always, the procedure is the Commission will have to hear this. There must be a determination. If ever there are cases like this, for sure the Commission will make a determination through a hearing,” Laudiangco had said.
Based on Section 11 of Comelec Resolution No. 10717, the withdrawal of nominations and substitution of nominees due to withdrawal must be filed with the Law Department not later than November 15, 2021.
It also provides that no substitution shall be deemed valid if filed beyond November 15, 2021, unless the list of nominees originally submitted has been exhausted due to death and/or due to the incapacity of the nominees.
