Colmenares urges Comelec to reconsider non-accreditation of nurses’ party-list group

—INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to reconsider its non-accreditation of a party list that claims to represent nurses, saying that turning a blind eye to such requests would be another injustice to health workers.

In a statement, Colmenares said that he hopes Comelec would take a second look at the Nurses United (NU) Party-list’s application and let them participate in the 2022 national elections, noting that they are legitimate members of the health sector.

The former lawmaker said the group is not like other party-list organizations that have been used by political powers to increase their representation at Congress.

“I urge COMELEC to reconsider this decision and let NU Partylist participate in the 2022 Elections. They are legitimate members of the sector and not some fly-by-night group eager for political power,” Colmenares said on Monday.

“If other preposterous party lists are allowed to participate, then more so should NU, as the latter are genuine health workers fighting the injustices in the health sector,” he added.

Colmenares, who is vying for a Senate seat, said that omitting the NU party list from the 2022 congressional race is another injustice to people on the frontlines of the country’s fight against COVID-19.

“In this light, the [Comelec’s] denial of accreditation to the  Nurses United Partylist adds to the big injustice suffered by our pandemic heroes. It disenfranchises the rank and file of our health sector who deserve the best representation in Congress,” he claimed.

“By its action, Comelec has denied NU party list the opportunity to voice out in Congress our nurses’ demand to increase their entry-level pay in government hospitals to Salary Grade 15. NU has also been ardent in calling for the timely release of hazard pay and other benefits that health workers deserve, especially in fighting the health crisis,” he added.

On Monday, members of the Nurses United party-list trooped to the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila, after they filed a petition seeking the First Division’s reconsideration after their party-list application was not granted.

According to Maristela Abenojar, president of the Filipino Nurses United group and the Nurses United party list, nurses should have a voice in Congress, especially as over 10,000 of the 28,103 health workers who contracted COVID-19 belong to their profession.

“Many, too, have died. Sadly, since the start of the pandemic, nurses’ conditions remain the same,” Abenojar said.

“Our voices must be heard in the policy-making process to uplift our social, mental, economic and physical condition,” she added.

READ: Rejected nurses’ party-list group appeals to Comelec 

Colmenares said it’s disappointing that the NU party list, which legitimately represents a sector in society, unlike in previous occasions where people not part of the sector only gets congressional seats, would be disallowed from making their own bid.

“Kung sino pa ang tunay na kakatawan sa interes ng ating mga nars at iba pang health workers, sila pa ang pinigilang lumahok sa darating na halalan. At kung sino pa ang peke at nakikisakay lamang sa hinaing ng mga inaaping sektor, iyon pa ang pinapayagan,” Colmenares stressed.

(Ironically, the one who represents the interest of our nurses and health workers are the ones prevented from joining the elections.  Then, those who use fake party lists and are just riding the marginalized sectors’ grievances are given the chance.)

“The party-list system was meant to empower the marginalized and not provide a backdoor to power for traditional politicians and moneyed interests. Given the bastardization of traditional politics, Comelec should ensure that marginalized sectors are genuinely represented in Congress,” he added.

Over the years, many party-list groups have sprouted claiming to represent marginalized sectors and other oppressed institutions in the country.  However, there have been observations that political dynasties exploit party lists, allowing lawmakers from prominent families to have an extra seat apart from the legislative district they usually control.

These observations have led several lawmakers to push for a reform of the party-list system to ensure that a sector given a chance to have a spot in Congress would be adequately represented.

READ: Party-list Law reforms pushed to nix mockery, abuse of system 

READ: Politicians exploit party-list system to build dynasties 

In a 2019 report on lawmakers’ wealth, it was revealed that at least two of the top 10 richest House of Representative members were party-list representatives.

READ: 2 billionaires in House in 2018; Port tycoon Romero still richest