By Liezelle Soriano
An-Waray party-list Representative Florencio “Bem” Noel has been removed from the House of Representatives after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) canceled the group’s registration.
Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Representative Janette Garin made the motion last Wednesday in the plenary, saying that the lower house has received official communication from Comelec removing AW.
Garin said that the letter issued read “Certificate of Finality and Entry of Judgement canceling the registration of An-Waray party-list.”
“I move that the secretary general be directed to execute and implement the resolution and accordingly, drop the An Waray Party-List Representative from the roll of members of the 19th Congress,” the lawmaker said.
The party’s registration was previously canceled by the Comelec for allowing the then-second nominee Victoria Isabel Noel to take a seat in the House of Representatives without the necessary authorization back in 2016 which the party appealed.
In their appeal, the party-list said that there was insufficient evidence to justify the decision and for being contrary to the law.
“The act of taking her oath and her assumption of office with no Certificate of Proclamation [.] clearly constitutes a violation of the rules relating to Party-list representatives,” said in the Comelec resolution.
(ai/mnm)