Comelec: Yedda Romualdez to serve as Tingog partylist rep after 3rd nominee exit

Former Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez will return to the House of Representatives (HOR) in the 20th Congress as she is set to take the third seat of Tingog Partylist following the exit of three of its nominees, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday.

Romualdez, wife of Speaker Martin Romualdez, will replace third nominee Marie Josephine Calatrava, who resigned from Tingog citing “personal circumstances”.

Fourth nominee Alexis Yu and fifth nominee Paul Muncada likewise resigned as nominees following their election as party executive vice-president, and vice-president for internal affairs, respectively.

According to Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, the substitution is allowed under the Party-list System Act as Yedda is included in the list of nominees the party submitted to the poll body.

“Halimbawa, nag-resign si 1, papalit si number 2. Namatay si number 3, papalit si number 4. So long as di pa nauubos ang sinubmit satin,” he said.

(If the first nominee resigned, the second will replace him. If the third nominee dies, the fourth nominee will replace him. As long as the replacing nominee is included in the names they submitted to us.)

Tingog Partylist ranked third in Eleksyon 2025, securing three seats for the incoming 20th Congress. Yeddah is its sixth nominee while her son, Andrew Julian  Romualdez, was named first nominee.

“Dapat si number 6 ang ipapalit and we have no discretion on that. Ito ay duly-submitted ng naturang partylist at duly-published by the commission,” said Garcia.

(The sixth nominee will replace the third and we have no discretion on that. She is part of the duly-submitted names of the partylist.)

“Walang natanggap na disqualification or opposition or petition for disqualification sa sampu na yan therefore, intact ang listahan. Kahit hindi kami mag-issue ng certificate of proclamation, pwede na tanggapin ng HOR sapagkat na-proclaim na ang naturang party-list,” he added.

(We did not receive any disqualification or opposition or petition for disqualification on the ten names and therefore, the list is intact. The HOR can proclaim her even without or certification as the partylist was already proclaimed.) — BAP, GMA Integrated News