Padaca urged to stay out of party-list purge

Former Isabela governor and now newly-appointed Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Newly minted Commission on Elections Commissioner Grace Padaca is being urged to stay out of the ongoing purge of party-list groups, which has become divisive.

“Given her close association with Akbayan, it would be wise for her to inhibit herself from the deliberations on its accreditation,” said Act Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio in a text message.

Tinio is part of the Makabayan bloc in Congress, which is opposing the accreditation of a rival Leftist group, Akbayan, because it has lost its claim to being a marginalized group after having some of its top officers entrenched in government positions.

In a text message, Padaca shrugged off about calls for her inhibition. “I haven’t come across documents of organizations like theirs,” said Padaca referring to Tinio’s affiliates.

Padaca’s entry into Comelec has been tainted by her closeness to Liberal Party president and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who accompanied the former Isabela Governor when she posted bail at the Sandiganbayan.

Tinio said that the ongoing purge of party-list groups was part of the LP’s agenda to disqualify nonaligned party-list groups and replace them with organizations friendly to the ruling party’s cause such as Akbayan and Black & White Movement linked to Presidential Spokespman Edwin Lacierda.