By Ferdinand G. Patinio
MANILA, July 27 (PNA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday assured the public that only legitimate party-list groups would be allowed to join the May 2016 polls.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they will be strict in approving applications of these groups to uphold the integrity of the system.
“Hindi naman papayag ang Comelec na mga bogus party-lists ang papabayaan. Makikita naman yan e,” he said.
Bautista noted how the hearings being conducted by two Comelec divisions that thoroughly screens and scrutinizes the organizations’ members, officials, and their articles of incorporation.
“When the divisions hold their hearings, hinihimay-himay natin yan,” he said.
On his part, Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim is hoping that the voters would also assess party-list candidates.
“At the end of the day, it is still the voters who get to choose who they really want to represent them in the party-list system. I think, that is the best safeguard,” Lim said.
Based on the High Court ruling on Atong Paglaum party-list, the Party-List System Act does not require parties, organizations, and sectors to be marginalized and underrepresented before they are allowed to join the elections and that even advocates of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors could become nominees and, therefore, earn a seat in Congress.
The applicants only need to meet the requirements set by Republic Act 7941 such as having constitution; by-laws; platform or program of government while not advocating violence; is not a foreign party; nor a religious sect or denomination.
Last May 8, a total of 243 party-list groups filed their respective Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the 2016 elections.
This is higher than the 183 party-list groups that filed Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the 2013 midterm elections. (PNA)