PBBM party-list group registration canceled over misrepresentation

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The Comelec finds that the Pilipinas Babangon Muli party-list group lied when it testified in its petition for registration that it only accepts members from Calabarzon. Most of its nominees are from Abra.

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 2nd Division on Wednesday, April 23, canceled the registration of party-list group Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) over its misrepresentation as a regional political party.

PBBM claimed to represent Calabarzon, but the Comelec found that none of its 10 nominees or its officers are actually from the region. Eight nominees turned out to be from Abra, one from Cagayan, and one from Quezon City.

The Comelec also pointed to how the PBBM president lied in the group’s petition hearing on April 19, 2024, when they claimed that all recruited members were from Calabarzon.

The division’s findings led to it granting the petition of lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez, who asked the Comelec to cancel PBBM’s registration for misrepresentation.

The party-list group uses the same widely recognized acronym used when referring to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Marcos also used the tagline “Babangon muli (Rise up again)” during his 2022 campaign.

Lying in testimony

In September 2023, PBBM filed for accreditation as a regional political party in the party-list system. It stated in its petition that it operates in Calabarzon, declaring existence of chapters in all five provinces and 140 cities and municipalities of the region.

The Comelec granted its petition for registration in May 2024. Then, in October, the poll body published the certificate of nomination and certificates of acceptance of nomination, revealing the following nominees for PBBM with their addresses:

1. Ma. Cecilia Bejarin Badajos – Barangay Pangtud, Pidigan, Abra
2. Thomas Dominic Bravo Baluga – Baung, Piat, Cagayan
3. Karen Bersamin Acosta – Barangay Zone 1, Bangued, Abra
4. Elena Bejarin Badajos – Bangued, Abra
5. Iana Alexis Badajos Garcia – Quezon City
6. Francis Carl Arconado Acosta – Barangay Zone 1, Bangued, Abra
7. Jerald Acosta Dao – Barangay Zone 1, Bangued, Abra
8. Alejandro Barreydo Badajos – Bangued, Abra
9. Henrietta Francesca A. Acosta – Barangay Zone 1, Bangued, Abra
10. Marc Dan Hernandez Acosta – Bangued, Abra

On April 19, 2024, during PBBM’s petition hearing, the group’s president testified that all members were strictly from Calabarzon.

Its top officers, president Joseph Domino Valera, vice presidents Ma. Cecilia Badajos and Robby Dominique Valera, and secretary general Ma. Jocelyn Valera Bernos are all from Abra.

The Comelec found that PBBM was inconsistent in its statements about its membership. In the hearing for the proceedings on April 15, 2025, PBBM maintained that residency in Calabarzon was not a requirement for membership under its constitution and by-laws.

“This statement is a direct contradiction with Respondent’s petition for registration, which expressly states…that Petitioner is a regional political party with regional constituency,” the ruling reads.

The division said that by legal definition, the constituency of a regional party must come from within the geographical territory of the region it purports to represent. Failure to establish this constituency negates the very character of a regional political party, it said.

“The declaration of untruthful statements in its petition for registration is a ground for cancellation of registration of a political party. Given the foregoing, [PBBM’s] recent admission that it never imposed residency as a condition for membership in its party-list [group], despite earlier claiming a regional constituency, demonstrates that [it] made an untruthful statement,” the division wrote.

Comelec commissioners Rey Bulay, Nelson Celis, and Noli Pipo make up the poll body’s 2nd Division. The case will be forwarded to the Comelec’s Law Department for preliminary investigation on possible election offenses.

According to its website, PBBM stands for “solidarity, good faith, and a genuine commitment to advocating for meaningful reforms in the Philippines.” On its social media pages, it does not openly label itself as a representation for Calabarzon.

The party-list group lagged behind in Pulse Asia’s March 2025 survey with 0.06% preference.

PBBM may still file a motion for reconsideration, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said. – Rappler.com