Post party-list groups online, Comelec urged

An election watchdog on Wednesday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to publish online the names of all party-list groups and their nominees, whether accredited or still seeking accreditation, so that the public may know who these groups are.

The Quezon City-based Kontra Daya said it would help in weeding out “bogus” party-list groups that have used the system reserved for marginalized sectors as a means of getting congressional seats.

“The posting online of all the names of the party-list groups and their nominees is an act of transparency that will cost Comelec nothing. It will also help immensely in the identification and the weeding out of fake party-list groups. Over the last 10 years, the party-list system has been flooded by entities claiming to represent marginalized sectors but are in fact representatives of political clans, big business and other influential sectors,” Kontra Daya said.

The watchdog group said that since there are 172 party-list groups seeking accreditation, it would be difficult for the truly marginalized sectors to oppose the fake groups without prior knowledge of their application.

“The public should be involved in the process…,” Kontra Daya said.