The Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente, at Persons with Disabilities (P3PWD) partylist group filed a petition for mandamus before the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday, seeking to compel House Speaker Martin Romualdez to administer the oath of office, allowing its first nominee, Maria Camille Ilagan, to assume her seat in the 19th Congress.

The urgency of the issue was brought to the SC by P3PWD Charlene Vianca Fernandez since Congress is set to go on recess on 8 February.

She said in the petition that the imminent recess and subsequent adjournment make it imperative that Romualdez immediately fulfill his ministerial obligation to administer Ilagan’s oath, or the people’s voice, specifically the rights and interests of patients, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens, among other marginalized sectors of society, be silenced for the remainder of the 19th Congress.

The petitioner, in addition to Romualdez, named House Secretary General Reginald Velasco as a respondent in the petition.

It pointed out that despite the final and executory ruling of the SC affirming P3PWD electoral mandate and the compliance of the Comelec to the Court’s order, the respondents have failed to set Ilagan’s oath-taking as the group’s duly representative in the 19th Congress.

On 20 August 2024, the SC issued a ruling declaring null and void the substitution of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon as the partylist’s first nominee and gave instructions to submit additional nominees.

The petitioner in compliance with the said decision, submitted on 3 December 2024, a new set of nominees, which the poll body approved in its Resolution No. 24-0986 issued on the same day.

Ilagan was eventually named by the P3PWD as its replacement for its first nominee.

On 6 December, Ilagan received the Certificate of Proclamation from the Comelec, to become the P3PWD’s representative to the House of Representatives’ 19th Congress.

The petitioner said Ilagan made multiple attempts to carry out her intention to have her ceremonial oath administered by Romualdez to no avail.

“This continued inaction unilaterally thwarts the democratic will of the three hundred ninety-one thousand one hundred seventy-four (391,174) voters who decisively chose petitioner P3PWD in the May 2002 National and Local Elections,” the petitioner stressed.