A petition to disqualify 1-Pacman party-list Representative Michael Odylon “Mikee” L. Romero from holding office has been filed before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
In a 13-page petition for quo warranto filed last July 15, a certain Felix Aguilar Jr. of Brgy. Pines, Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental claimed that Romero is ineligible to sit as a member of the House “since he is not a bonafide member of the sectoral party he intends to represent.”
“Records disclose that [the] respondent, who claims to be the first nominee and chairman of the Board of Trustees, is not a member of the marginalized sector which 1-Pacman seeks to represent in Congress,” the petition said.
HRET rules provides that a verified petition for quo warranto contesting the election of a House member on the ground of ineligibility shall be filed with this Honorable Tribunal within fifteen (15) days from June 30 of the election year or the date of the actual assumption to office, whichever is later.
The petition against Romero said there is no proof that Romero shares the advocacy of 1-Pacman (One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals), formerly 1 Joint Alliance of Marginalized Group, Inc. or 1JMAG.
The group, the petition, claims to be an “organized group of citizen whose residences are in Region IV, Philippines, and whose subsistence and means of livelihood depend largely on agriculture and its extension industries; to wit: farming, fishing, livestock and poultry raising and services in the transport sector involved in the movement and marketing of agricultural and fishing products.”
“Respondent did not show any proof that he shares the advocacy of 1 PACMAN—being an organization of agricultural workers residing in Region IV, whose subsistence and means of livelihood depend largely on agriculture, the petition pointed out, referring to Romero who has emerged as one of the richest members of the House of Representatives and the youngest billionaire in Asia.
The 42-year-old Romero, a son of construction magnate Rhegis Romero, owns GlobalPort Batang Pier, a basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The neophyte lawmaker is also the CEO of GlobalPort900 and vice chairman of budget airline AirAsia Philippines. In 2014, he was 33rd in Forbes 50th richest Filipinos.
Romero is the first nominee of the party-list group which placed second in the May 9 race, earning two seats in the House. The second nominee for 1-Pacman party-list is the business adviser of Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao, who was the richest congressman in 2015.
The petitioner argued that with respondent’s profile, it would be difficult to presume that he belongs to the sector he wishes to represent. “Worse, he is not even a resident of Region IV but, according to his Certificate of Nomination, he is housed in a place where prominent, influential and wealthy individuals can be found, particularly in Greenmeadows Quezon City, the petition stated.
The petition further stated: “In fact, it is beyond cavil that respondent is a millionaire, if not a billionaire, belonging to a prominent family, whose net worth would surely not pass as middle class, more so, “low income group as classified by the National Statistical Coordination Board. The petition invoked Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7941 (“An Act Providing for the Election of Party-list Representatives through the party-list system and appropriating funds therefor) which, among others, provides that, “No person shall be nominated as party-list representative unless he is a “bona fide member of the party or organization which he seeks to represent for at least ninety (90) days preceding the day of the election.
“Therefore, in order to be called a bonafide member of a party-list group, it is not enough that he is registered as one of its members, rather, he must belong to the said marginalized group which he intends to represent,” the petition said.