Comelec refutes ‘spurious’ document on party-list representatives proclamation

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) refuted Wednesday a “spurious” document circulating on social media that ordered certain individuals named as party-list representatives to appear before the House of Representatives for their supposed proclamation and oath of office.

Comelec spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body has no authority or jurisdiction to make such an order, contrary to the claim of the “spurious” document.

“Una po malinaw na malinaw na spurious at peke ang dokumento dahil wala pong kapangyarihan ang Comelec na mag-order ng kahit sinong party-list o iba pa na humarap sa House of Representatives,” Laudiangco said at the public briefing.

(First of all, the document is clearly spurious and fake because the Comelec does not have the power to order any party-list or others to appear before the House of Representatives.)

“Ang HOR ang may tanging kapangyarihan na mag-utos o mag-issue ng order at humarap sa kanila. At isa pa po kung anumang utos patungkol sa bagay na konektado sa Comelec, ang mag-iissue po nito ay ang aming clerk of the commission or Comelec secretary at sa Commission en banc at sa opisina po namin, sa tanggapan po namin sila ipapaharap,” he added.

(The HOR has the sole power to order or issue such orders and face them. Any order connected to the Comelec, the one who will issue it is our clerk of the commission or Comelec secretary and they will be presented to the Commission en banc and our office in our office.)

He then encouraged the public to be vigilant and check the Comelec’s official Facebook page and website for legitimate press statements and orders.

In a separate statement, the poll body advised political parties to only take notice of the directives sent by the Office of the Clerk of the Commission.

“Further, proceedings of the Commission in relation to the party-list system of representation are ordinarily conducted within the Comelec premises,” it said.

“Registered political parties or coalitions of political parties are hereby cautioned to only take notice of directives sent by the Office of the Clerk of the Commission through official channels to the official e-mail address of the PP or Coalition as reflected in their Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) or Petition for Registration,” it added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News