7 more partylist groups disqualified

MANILA, Philippines— The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced Tuesday it barred seven more partylist groups from joining the 2013 elections.

The disqualified groups were:
1. Fitness Pinoy
2. Pinoy Aasenso Ka
3. Ahente
4. Asabala
5. Bantay OCW
6. Sandama and
7. 1 Abante na Pinoy

The Comelec has been undergoing a re-evaluation of old and new party-list groups in a bid to cleanse the partylist system, which has been criticized as being dominated by bogus organizations or by groups whose nominees were either multimillionaires, former government officials or members of powerful political clans.