Padaca gets documents for party-lists with 3-3 Comelec votes to ‘break the tie’

Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca.

MANILA, Philippines – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Wednesday said that newly appointed Commissioner Grace Padaca had been given some of the documents for her to “break the tie” on certain party-lists that received a divided vote among the poll body’s commissioners.

“We gave her until next Wednesday …for her to break the tie,” Brillantes said in an interview with reporters. Brillantes revealed that they gave Padaca nine cases for party-lists that garnered 3-3 votes from the poll commissioners.

Brillantes had earlier said that Padaca had agreed to review the documents.

The Comelec has been undergoing a re-evaluation of old and new party-list groups and a screening of their nominees under the law as part of their efforts to cleanse the party-list system, which has been criticized as being dominated by bogus organizations or by groups whose nominees are either multimillionaires, former government officials or members of powerful political clans.

About 15 party-list groups have been announced as disqualified so far, and these included Ako-Bicol party-list, 1-Care, and Apec among others.

Brillantes had said that they would announce 20 more disqualified party-lists within the week.