MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division has cancelled the registration of the Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) party-list for the upcoming Eleksyon 2025, citing misrepresentation of its status as a regional political party.
In a 10-page decision released Wednesday, the poll body ruled in favor of a petition filed by lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez, who argued that PBBM falsely claimed to represent the Calabarzon region while fielding nominees who are residents of Abra, Cagayan, and Quezon City.
“The registration of respondent Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) party-list is hereby cancelled,” the ruling stated.
The petition highlighted that the party-list violated the Party-list System Act (RA No. 7941) and Comelec Resolution No. 9366, which require regional party-list organizations to field nominees from their declared constituency.
The Comelec initially granted PBBM party-list eligibility based on its claim of having presence in 140 out of 142 localities in Calabarzon, and its declared mission to represent the region’s citizens. However, during oral arguments, the party admitted that residency in Region IV-A was not required under its internal rules—a contradiction that, according to the ruling, invalidates its regional classification.
“This admission directly negates the foundation upon which its registration was approved,” the Second Division noted. “This is not a mere formality but a substantive requirement that distinguishes regional from national parties.”
The decision further emphasized that the failure to field at least one nominee from Calabarzon nullifies the party-list’s eligibility to participate in the elections.
All 10 nominees listed by the party-list—including several from Abra and one from Quezon City—were ruled ineligible to represent Calabarzon, resulting in the complete disqualification of the PBBM party-list from Eleksyon 2025.
The ruling sends a strong message ahead of the midterm elections: compliance with regional representation rules is non-negotiable under the party-list system.