MANILA, Philippines ? A former political detainee on Wednesday formally joined the race for a seat in the House of Representatives when he was listed as one of the top nominees of the partylist group Anakpawis.

Randall ?Ka Randy? Echanis, is the third nominee of the group, which submitted 13 names to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) two weeks before the deadline.

Anakpawis is the 19th group out of the more than 150 partylist organizations accredited to join the elections. The Comelec gave them until March 26 to submit their nominees.

A political detainee during the Marcos, Aquino and the current Arroyo administration, Echanis, deputy secretary general of the peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines), was chosen as third nominee of Anakpawis next to incumbent congressmen Rafael Mariano and Joel Maglunsod.

The other nominees are transport group leader George San Mateo, Verleen Trinidad, Gloria Arellano, Roy Velez, Felix Paz, Jaime Paglinawan, Vincent Borja, Edwin Batac, Fernando Hicap, and Franchie Buhayan.

Around 300 supporters of Anakpawis gathered in front of the Comelec office in Manila during the filing.

Mariano said the groups would continue to push for genuine agrarian reform, P125 across the board wage increase and the repeal of the oil deregulation law and the expanded value added tax.

Each partylist group that has garnered the needed votes can have as many as three seats in the House.

Various groups have criticized the Comelec for being too lenient in accrediting partylist groups. Politicians now seek to enter Congress through the partylist system by being nominees of groups.

Reports have said that Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel ?Mikey? Arroyo and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes are being eyed nominees of Ang Galing Party and 1-UTAK, respectively.

Under the Constitution, the partylist system is designed for the underrepresented and marginalized sectors to have representation in Congress.