MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) recognition of the 2022 Constitution and By-laws of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), which sets a three-year term for its national officers.

In a Decision penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, the SC En Banc ruled that Leandro Verceles Jr. and Antonio Rodriguez Jr. were not validly elected as PFP President and Secretary General, respectively, during a meeting held on December 14, 2023.

The leadership row stemmed from two factions within the party—the group led by Verceles, and the group led by Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.

Tamayo, along with Thompson Lantion and George Briones, took their oath as PFP President, Secretary General, and General Counsel in September 2021. Under the 2022 Constitution and By-laws, their term runs for three years.

The Verceles group, however, argued that the officers’ term expired in September 2023 under the party’s 2018 Constitution and By-laws, which provided a two-year tenure. They subsequently held a meeting in December 2023 where Verceles and Rodriguez were elected as party officers.

The Tamayo group countered that their terms were valid until 2024, citing the 2022 Constitution and By-laws. They also said the December 2023 meeting lacked both quorum and proper notice, with only nine members present and no official notice sent.

The Comelec earlier ruled in favor of the Tamayo faction, confirming that the 2022 Constitution and By-laws had replaced the 2018 version and were duly submitted on April 11, 2022, for the national and local elections without objections.

The SC upheld this ruling, stressing that the 2022 Constitution and By-laws are the official and controlling documents of the PFP. It noted that Verceles and Rodriguez, who were incumbent officers at the time of the submission, did not object or challenge the authority of Tamayo’s group in filing the updated documents.

The Court further emphasized that the Comelec’s findings were supported by substantial evidence, citing Article XVII, Section 2 of the 2022 Constitution and By-laws, which provides for a three-year term for national officers.

Thus, the Court ruled that Tamayo, Lantion, and Briones remain the valid officers of the PFP until 2024.

It also affirmed the Comelec’s finding that the December 14, 2023, election conducted by the Verceles faction was invalid due to lack of proper notice, quorum, and authority. As such, the elections held during that meeting have no legal effect.