MANILA, Philippines -- To help ensure transparency in the election of party-list groups, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered these organizations to identify their nominees for Congress for the May 2010 elections.

In a resolution dated November 10, the Comelec ordered party-list groups to include the names of their nominees in their campaign materials and for the Comelec legal department to also publish these names.

The resolution comes after some party-list lawmakers claimed that other party-list groups were fronting for powerful interests instead of representing marginalized sectors.

“The party-list parties, organizations or coalitions shall include the names of its nominees in all of its campaign materials,” the Comelec said.

“The Law Department shall prepare the list of nominees within five days after March 26, 2010 and shall publish said list in three newspapers of general circulation,” it added.

The poll body said it issued the resolution in compliance with the Supreme Court decision on May 4, 2007, directing the Comelec to disclose and release the names of the nominees of the party-list groups, sectors or organizations accredited to participate in elections.

“In line with the above decision, the Comelec is mandated to disclose and release the names of the nominees of the party-list parties, organizations or coalitions registered to participate in an election,” the poll body said.

“The right of the people to elect their representatives and the need to be informed of matters that have a bearing on their choice, requires party-list parties, organizations or coalitions to include the name of nominees in all of its campaign materials,” it added.

Under the partylist system, voters vote for parties representing marginalized sectors and not individual candidates. A partylist group must win at least two percent of all the votes cast in the partylist elections to be able to get a seat in the House of Representatives.