In a 19-page decision, the High Court upheld the resolutions issued by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on September 6 and October 3, 2024, which addressed the leadership dispute within the party.
The COMELEC had earlier dismissed the petition filed by former Catanduanes Governor Leandro Verceles Jr. and former Capas, Tarlac Mayor Antonio Rodriguez Jr., who claimed to have been elected as national president and secretary general of the party, respectively, replacing Gov. Tamayo and retired PNP General Thompson Lantion.
According to the Verceles camp, an election was held on December 14, 2023, during which they were supposedly elected to their positions. They also argued that a “governance vacuum” occurred following the alleged expiration of the terms of Tamayo, Lantion, and general counsel George Briones on September 18, 2023.
However, both the COMELEC and the Supreme Court found that the election conducted by Verceles' group had no legal basis. The COMELEC stated that the election was not convened by the duly authorized leadership, lacked a valid quorum, and did not follow proper notification procedures for party members.
The High Court further affirmed that the Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) submitted by Verceles and Rodriguez was late and invalid, while the SIUS filed by Governor Tamayo’s camp was timely filed and backed by legal authority.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court has firmly upheld Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.’s leadership as the legitimate National President of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, reinforcing his mandate to lead the party closely aligned with the vision and policies of President Marcos Jr.’s administration.
In September 2024, during the party's General Assembly, Governor Tamayo was re-elected as PFP National President securing his mandate to lead the party until 2027.
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