Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Aquilino Pimentel III expressed his support Friday for the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) clean-up of the party-list system.
He praised Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes “for taking a stand and exercising political will to purge the accreditation and registration of partylist groups.”
Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, said that “the effort of the Comelec to cleanse the partylist of unqualified party-list groups was laudable and the committee intends to provide the Comelec with the necessary ammunition to pursue electoral reforms.”
Pimentel said he wanted to invite the Commissioners of the Comelec to attend his committee hearing “so that it would be guided on the possible legislative tools which the poll body would need to effectively perform its mandated functions.”
The Comelec has so far disqualified 28 partylist groups out of a total 115 that were being reviewed.
Comelec has decided to conduct a review of all partylist groups so as to eliminate some that are seen as bogus organizations. Other groups had nominees that do not significantly represent the party-list group they belong to being either millionaires, former government officials, or belonging to an influential political clan.
There are still 87 partylist groups – being reviewed and awaiting the decision of the Comelec.
Among the partylist groups that were previously disqualified were Ako-Bicol, APEC, 1-CARE and Aangat Tayo.
Brillantes, in a recent press conference, said that they would complete their review of the remaining partylist groups by October 30.
The disqualified partylist groups failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2003 case of Ang Bagong Bayani v. Comelec that enumerated guidelines to ensure that only marginalized and underrepresented sectors may run for a partylist seat at the House of Representatives. Matikas Santos