SC scraps Rowena Guanzon substitution as P3PWD party-list nominee

The Supreme Court (SC) en banc has granted a petition seeking the removal of retired poll commissioner Rowena Guanzon from the list of nominees of Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) party-list in Eleksyon 2022.

This was ordered in a 131-page decision issued Aug. 20, a copy of which was received by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

In its decision, the SC granted the petition filed by the Duty to Energize the Republic Through the Enlightenment of the Youth (Duterte Youth) party-list seeking to declare a Comelec resolution, which allowed the substitution of Guanzon as P3PWD nominee, as null and void.

"Accordingly the Petition in G.R. No. 261123 is granted. Comelec Minute Resolution No. 22-0774, dated June 15, 2022 is declared null and void for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion insofar as it approved the substitution of the nominees of respondent P3PWD Party-List," the High Court said.

"The Court's Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) dated June 29, 2022 is made permanent," it added.

In June 2022, the SC issued a TRO preventing the implementation of a Comelec resolution allowing Guanzon to substitute as the number one nominee of P3PWD party-list. The decision enjoined the Comelec, the House of Representatives, and P3PWD to follow suit.

To recall, the Comelec previously approved in a "majority vote" the request of the P3PWD party to withdraw the nomination of its original roster, comprised of Grace Yeneza, Ira Paulo Pozon, Marianne Heidi Cruz Fullon, Peter Jonas David, and Lily Grace Tiangco. It also approved the new list of nominees that named Guanzon as its first nominee; Rosalie Garcia as its second nominee;  Cherrie Belmonte-Lim, third; Donnabel Tenorio, fourth; and Rodolfo Villar Jr., its fifth.

However, the High Court strictly barred the renomination of Guanzon, Garcia, Belmonte-Lim, Tenorio, and Villar Jr. and ordered the party-list group to submit new nominees.

"Respondent P3PWD Party-List is directed to submit additional nominees pursuant to Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7941 but is strictly enjoined from renominating for the duration of the19th Congress the nominees whose substitutions were declared null and void by this Decision, namely Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon, Rosalie J. Garcia, Cherrie B. Belmonte-Lim, Donnabel C. Tenorio, and Rodolfo B. Villar, Jr.," the SC said.

Duterte Youth was represented by its chair, former National Youth Commission chairperson Ronald Cardema in its petition before the SC.

Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario penned the decision. Meanwhile, Associated Justices Jhosep Lopez and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa dissented. Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen concurred that the petition should be granted but disagreed on having P3PWD submit additional nominees.  — VDV, GMA Integrated News