The Commission on Elections (Comelec) canceled the registration of the Pilipinas Babangon Muli as a party-list organization over alleged misrepresentation.

In its 10-page ruling, the Comelec Second Division said it found out that none of the party-list’s 10 nominees are from Region 4-A (Calabarzon), which it supposedly represents.

“Eight of its nominees are residents of the province of Abra, one of the province of Cagayan and one of Quezon City. None of the 10 nominees are residents of Calabarzon Region,” the Second Division said in its ruling promulgated on Wednesday.

“Accordingly, all 10 nominees cannot be considered bona fide members of a regional political party purporting to represent Calabarzon. In turn, they cannot be qualified as nominees. This results in the absence of even a single qualified nominee as required by law,” it added.

The decision said the party-list made “untruthful statements” that warrant the cancellation of its registration.

“Respondent’s previous assertion in its Petition for Registration — that it possesses a regional constituency within Calabarzon — has now been conclusively contradicted by its own subsequent admission in the instant Petition,” the ruling said.

The decision was in response to the petition of lawyer Jess Christian Ramirez, who accused the group of misrepresenting itself as a regional political party representing Calabarzon while exclusively fielding nominees outside the region.

Ramirez also accused the group of falsely suggesting an association with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Since the ruling is on the division level, the group may still appeal the decision by filing a motion for reconsideration before the Comelec en banc. (PNA)