Comelec won't stop Leila de Lima, ML Party-list proclamation

The Commission on Elections said Friday it sees no reason to withhold the proclamation of ML Party-list and its first nominee former senator Leila de Lima following a decision of the Court of Appeals nullifying her acquittal in one drug case.

“Wala tayong nakikitang kadahilanan para mapahinto ang proklamasyon ng nabanggit na personalidad o party-list sapagkat hindi pa naman ‘yun final conviction ng CA,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia told reporters.

(We have no reason to stop the proclamation of the party-list or its nominee because the decision of the CA is not yet final.)

“Wala rin namang pending case sa amin ang nasabing party-list para kami ay mag-issue ng order to suspend any proclamation,” he said.

(There is no pending case against the party-list before the Comelec so we have no basis to issue an order to suspend any proclamation.)

On Thursday, the CA made available a 12-page decision granting the petition for certiorari filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) assailing De Lima’s acquittal in a drug case involving former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos. It also remanded the case to Branch 204 of the Muntinlupa RTC.

De Lima said she would appeal the CA decision up to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

“Ang alam po natin bilang isang abogado na ang decison ng CA ay subject sa motion for reconsideration. Kung hindi man, pupwedeng maitaas sa Supreme Court,” said Garcia.

(From what we know as a lawyer, the decision of the CA is still subject to motion for reconsideration. It can also be elevated to the Supreme Court.)

“Parang hindi tama na mag-suspend ng proclamation ng isang winning party-list o nominee dahil sa isang desisyon na hindi final. Again, walang epekto ‘yan sa magiging proclamation natin sa kanilang party-list o personalidad kung siya man ay nominee ng isang party-list,” he said.

(We don’t think it is right to suspend the proclamation of a winning party-list or nominee because of a decision that is not yet final. Again, it will have no effect to the proclamation.)

De Lima is expected to make a congressional comeback as first nominee of ML Party-list, which secured a seat in the House of Representatives in the 20th Congress. Based on the national certificate of canvass, ML Party-list stood at 14th place in the party-list race, garnering 547,949 votes in the 2025 midterm elections. —AOL, GMA Integrated News

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