Claim: The party-list group Vendors, which lists online personality Deo “Diwata” Balbuena as its fourth nominee, has been disqualified from the 2025 midterm elections.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim, posted on Facebook on April 21, has gathered 463 reactions, 28 comments, and 53 shares as of writing. It was published on a page with 39,000 followers.
The post reads, “Nawala yung partylist ni Diwata. Sana yung kay Philip Salvador naman” (Diwata’s party-list group has been removed. I hope Philip Salvador’s party-list group is next.)
In the comments section, users discussed the supposed disqualification of the party-list group and questioned the credentials of the nominees.
One user wrote: “Ginawang lang kengkoy tsaka puppet nyang si Diwata nung 1st nominee nang s*** na partylist nayan.”
(They just turned Diwata into a clown and puppet of that [censored] first nominee of that party-list group.)
The facts: While there is a disqualification case filed against the Vendors party-list group, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not decided on the petition. The poll body has not issued any official statement or verdict on the disqualification case as of writing.
On April 15, election watchdog Kontra Daya filed a complaint against the group, arguing that its nominees fail to represent the marginalized sector. Danilo Arao, the group’s convenor, cited their recent study revealing that 86 out of the 156 party-list groups vying for seats in the 2025 elections do not truly advocate for the underprivileged. He described the situation as a “mockery” of the Party-List System Act of 1995. (READ: Over half of party-list groups do not represent marginalized – watchdog)
The Vendors party-list group condemned the disqualification complaint in a statement posted on their official Facebook page last April 16. Dismissing the petition as “malicious” and “baseless,” the group asserted that its nominees are committed to improving the lives of Filipino vendors. Its statement further criticized Arao’s report, accusing him of singling them out and turning the issue into Arao’s personal vendetta against the group.
Meanwhile, other party-list groups are also facing similar complaints. The Construction Workers Solidarity party-list group is under scrutiny after allegedly distributing brand-new cars during an event in Batangas last February, raising vote-buying concerns.
So far, only one group has been officially disqualified: the Pilipinas Babangon Muli (PBBM) regional party-list, which had its registration cancelled by the Comelec due to misrepresentation. Separately, the Partido Trabaho at Wage Hike (WAGE HIKE) party-list group withdrew from the race in December 2024, bringing the official number of party-list groups in the polls to 155.
Diwata for Vendor’s party-list: Balbuena, popularly known as “Diwata” of Diwata Pares, is the fourth nominee of the Vendors party-list group, which seeks to represent Filipino street vendors.
Balbuena is among a growing number of celebrities being tapped by party-list groups hoping to strengthen their chances of winning seats in Congress. Other big names include television host Vice Ganda (Angkasangga), actor Coco Martin (FPJ Panday Bayanihan), actress Ivana Alawi (Agap), and online personalities Lincoln “Cong TV” Velasquez and Jayson “Boss Toyo” Luzadas (Solid North). (READ: 2025 polls: Dozens of party-list groups bank on celebrity pull, star power) – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com
Efren Cyril Bocar is a student journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar, enrolled in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. A managing editor of Amaranth, Cyril is a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.
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