MANILA, Philippines — An organization that seeks to represent health workers in Congress assailed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for stopping it from running in the coming 2025 midterm elections.
In a statement on Sunday, the Health Workers Partylist (HWP) said the Comelec en banc issued a resolution dismissing its petition for registration, which is the first requirement to run as a party list representative.
“The Comelec decision deprives us health workers of the opportunity to participate in the 2025 party list elections. It practically denied health workers a voice in Congress,” it said.
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The group will file a motion for reconsideration in the Comelec on Aug. 27, and will pursue other appropriate legal remedies in the Supreme Court.
According to its Facebook page, HWP “is the voice of health workers” and “promotes the rights and welfare of health workers and the Filipino people’s right to health.”
Its current president is Dr. Benigno Santi II, dean of the Capitol Medical Center Colleges’ College of Radiologic Technology.
Its members are composed of health workers and it has established chapters in 11 out of 16 cities in the National Capital Region.
“We are disappointed that our serious intent to join the party list elections was thwarted even before we could explain to and convince the electorate of our platform and legislative agenda,” HWP said.
“We are concerned that in the past elections, Comelec has easily accredited dynastic political groups backed by big political parties, which have lots of funds and resources. Many party list groups representing marginalized and underrepresented sectors seem to be passing through a needle’s eye before being accredited,” it said.
According to Comelec Chair George Garcia, the poll body intended to resolve all pending petitions concerning accreditation of party list organizations wanting to participate in the May 2025 midterm polls before the end of the month.
The deadline was set ahead of the scheduled raffling of numbers in mid-September, to determine the party lists’ chronological listing in the official ballots.
As of Thursday, the Comelec said it has accredited only 30 party lists—the lowest in record history. During the 2022 elections, 173 party lists were able to field their nominees.