SC affirms Tamayo presidency of Marcos' Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed that South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. is the national president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
In a 19-page decision, the SC en banc affirmed the resolutions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dated September 6, 2024, and October 3, 2024, concerning the leadership dispute within the party.
The poll body had dismissed the petition of former Catanduanes Governor Leandro Verceles Jr. and former Capas, Tarlac Mayor Antonio Rodriguez Jr. to resolve the intra-party conflict within PFP for lack of merit.
Verceles was claiming to be the PFP's national president, replacing Tamayo, following a supposed election among members in 2023. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was claiming to be the elected secretary general of the party, succeeding retired police general Thompson Lantion.
Both alleged that the terms of Tamayo as president, Lantion as secretary general, and George Briones as general counsel of PFP expired on September 18, 2023.
Verceles and Rodriguez alleged that Tamayo et al's failure to conduct an election for PFP's national officers before the expiration of their terms of office 'resulted in a governance vacuum, leading to a constitutional crisis within the party.'
To address the said crisis, the SC noted that the party's regional members convened and elected their officers in a meeting on December 14, 2023, which put Verceles in power as the national president and Rodriguez as secretary general of PFP.
Despite the election, the two claimed that Lantion 'unlawfully submitted' a Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) to the Comelec on behalf of the PFP on October 4, 2023, even after his authority already expired.
Verceles and Rodriguez argued that their SIUS submitted on December 20 of the same year was the valid one and should be recognized by the Comelec.
The Comelec En Banc, however, said that the petition lacked merit, ruling that the Tamayo et al remained as the incumbent officials of the party.
The poll body found that the elections conducted in December 2023 were invalid, ruling that Tamayo presented compelling evidence that the elections 'were not called by the proper authority, lacked the required quorum, and failed to comply with the proper notice requirements.'
The SC, for its part, affirmed the Comelec en banc's decision and denied the petition for certiorari.
The High Court stated that it finds no reason to receive the Comelec's finding regarding the late submission of Verceles and Rodriguez's SIUS as it was well past the Comelec's September 30, 2023, deadline, thus making Tamayo and others' submission 'the valid one.'
'The COMELEC committed no error in refusing to acknowledge Verceles and Rodriguez's SIUS, which was submitted late and without authority,' the SC said.
'To conclude, the COMELEC's findings of fact, based on substantial evidence, are considered final and binding by this Court, especially as the Petition failed to show an arbitrary or whimsical exercise of jurisdiction on the part of the COMELEC,' it added. –NB, GMA Integrated News
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