Another party-list group hits Comelec

Another party-list group, this one representing rural electricity consumers, assailed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) basis for disqualifying it for next year’s elections.

In a statement, 1-CARE group (1st Consumer’s Alliance for Rural Energy) protested the Comelec ruling, saying it was a “mockery of the judicial system.”

Lawyer Carlos Roman Uybarreta, secretary general of 1-CARE, said the Comelec disregarded a ruling of the Supreme Court dated Nov. 23, 2010, which established the qualification of 1-CARE as a party-list group under Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list System Act.

Uybarreta, in the statement, said he believed  the Comelec violated jurisprudence set by the high tribunal.

1-CARE, which seeks to represent rural electricity users and protect them from abuses by power distributors and generators, was granted party-list status by the Comelec on Jan. 10, 2010.

1-CARE ran as a party-list group in the May 2010 elections and won two seats now being occupied by Representatives Michael Antonio Rivera and Salvador Cabaluna III.

Prior to the 2010 elections, another party-list group, Banat, questioned the accreditation that Comelec granted 1-CARE.

But the Supreme Court, in November 2010, upheld 1-CARE’s accreditation and made its decision final on Feb. 22, 2011.

Last Oct. 16, however, the Comelec canceled the registration of 1-CARE as a party-list group saying “rural energy consumers” are not on the list of marginalized sectors that need representation in the House of Representatives.

Uybarreta said the Comelec decision was a slap on the face of the Supreme Court.

“The long-established doctrine of immutability of judgments was totally disregarded in the case at hand,” said Uybarreta.

1-CARE got 770,015 votes in the May 2010 elections.