The P3PWD party-list has named retired Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon as its first nominee after its original five resigned, according to documents submitted to the poll body on Tuesday.
The party-list, which won a seat in the 19th Congress, sent a list of its new nominees to Comelec which includes Guanzon as the first nominee, followed by Rosalie Garcia, Cherrie Belmonte-Lim, Donnabel Tenorio, and Rodolfo Villar Jr.
Guanzon, who initially was only a supporter of the party-list catering to persons with disabilities, said in recent statements that she would represent the group in Congress if it won a seat.
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The Comelec en banc will still deliberate on the resignation and acceptance of new nominees of the party-list, said acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco. If the Comelec accepts the new nominations, Guanzon will sit as P3PWD's representative in Congress.
The deadline for substitution of party-list nominees lapsed last Nov. 15, 2021, and no substitution will be valid beyond this date "unless the list of nominees originally submitted has been exhausted due to death and/or incapacity of the nominees," according to a Comelec resolution signed by Guanzon herself.
Last month, Guanzon drew flak on social media for attending a meeting with House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and for shaking hands with congressman-elect Sandro Marcos, son of president-elect Bongbong Marcos.
Guanzon made headlines last year for publicly announcing her vote to disqualify Marcos in the presidential race and for claiming that the resolution on such cases was deliberately being delayed so her vote would not be counted.
She explained, however, that she needed to work with Romualdez and Marcos in order to pass measures catering to PWDs.
"Hindi pwedeng kontra lang nang kontra, suportahan natin ang magagandang programa pero hindi magdadalawang isip na batikusin ang mali. Wala akong utang na loob sa kanila, kayo ang nagluklok sa akin dito," Guanzon said in a Facebook post.
A total of 55 party-list groups were declared winners in the May 9 elections, filling up the 62 seats alloted for party-list representatives in the 19th Congress.
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