MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court upheld the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) recognition of the 2022 Constitution and By-laws of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), affirming the three-year term of its national officers and invalidating the rival faction’s claim to leadership.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, the Court en banc ruled that Leandro Verceles Jr. and Antonio Rodriguez Jr. were not validly elected as party president and secretary general, respectively, during a Dec. 14, 2023 meeting. The Court said the assembly lacked quorum, proper notice, and authority, rendering its elections without legal effect.

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The ruling settles a leadership dispute within PFP, a registered political party, between the faction of Verceles and that of Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.

Tamayo, along with Thompson Lantion and George Briones, had assumed their posts as president, secretary general, and general counsel in September 2021. Under the 2022 party charter, their terms are valid for three years until 2024.

The Verceles group had argued that the officers’ terms should have ended in September 2023 based on the 2018 by-laws, which provided only a two-year tenure. But the Court noted that the 2022 Constitution and By-laws were properly submitted to the Comelec on April 11, 2022 for the national and local elections, with no objections or alternative versions filed.

The Court emphasized that the Comelec’s findings were backed by substantial evidence and were entitled to the presumption of regularity. It stressed that Verceles and Rodriguez, who were incumbent officers when the 2022 charter was submitted, did not oppose its adoption or question the authority of Tamayo’s group.

SC upholds Comelec recognition of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas 2022 by-laws

With the decision, Tamayo, Lantion, and Briones remain the duly recognized officers of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas until 2024.