RETIRED election commissioner Maria Rowena V. Guanzon has become the P3WP party-list group’s first nominee after five of its previous nominees had resigned, according to an election official.
Acting Comelec Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco told reporters in a Viber message that Ms. Guanzon had submitted notarized certificates of acceptance to become the party-list group’s first nominee, which is guaranteed a seat in the incoming 19th Philippine Congress.
He noted that the nomination will still be decided upon by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc.
The P3WP party-list group, which aims to represent the interests of persons with disabilities, placed 24th in the May 9 national and local elections, winning a seat in the House of Representatives.
Comelec had previously set its deadline for withdrawals and substitutions of party-list nominees on November 15.
Under the Party-list System Act, groups that earn seats in Congress may still submit a new set of nominees in case of vacancies.
In February, Ms. Guanzon retired from the election body along with two other election officials — Antonion T. Kho, Jr. and former Comelec chief Sheriff M. Abas.
She earlier voted to disqualify President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. as she said his repeated failure to file his tax returns showed a deliberate intent to violate the law.
The former election commissioner also accused Comelec Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino of delaying the decision on consolidated cases seeking to disqualify Mr. Marcos. Ms. Ferolino had denied the accusation, citing case volume for the delay. — John Victor D. Ordoñez