Brillantes’ dislike for partylists goes full blown

Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – If Chairman Sixto Brillantes of the Commission on Elections has his way, he wants the partylist system abolished.

Brillantes’ dislike for the sectoral groups became full blown Thursday when he admitted he wants all these group out of the electoral contest.

Sought for comment on how he felt about the reduced number of partylist groups the Comelec has allowed to run next year, Brillantes said:

“I am not satisfied. Gusto ko na abolish lahat yan para walang eleksyon sa partylist (I them all abolished so there will be no more elections for partylists),” he said.

Nevertheless, Brillantes is pleased that fewer partylists will contest the balloting. “OK na rin to reduce the amount. I never imagined it will go down to 79,” he said.

On Thursday, the Comelec released a list of the 79 partylist groups it had allowed to participate in next year’s race.

Of the 79 groups approved, 58 were retained, existing partylists, while 21 were new groups granted accreditation.

Brillantes added that members of the en-banc were still discussing the accreditation of five other partylist groups and the announcement of decisions would be made on Monday.

Also on Thursday the Comelec, disallowed four more partylist groups from participating in the 2013 midterm elections.

In a press conference, Brillantes said the poll body cancelled the accreditation of two incumbent partylists 1-Utak (United Transport Koalisyon), a group which claimed to represent the transport sector; and Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines, Inc, a group which claimed to represent the elderly.

The accreditation of 1st Kabalikat ng Bayan Ginhawang Sangkatauhan (1st Kabagis), an existing partylist, had also been cancelled by the poll body.

Brillantes said the Senior Citizens partylist group was disqualified because its nominees went into an illegal term sharing.

He added that the poll body also denied the application of the group Alona partylist, whose nominees include family members of House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, for next year’s party-list race.

The Comelec has been undergoing a re-evaluation of old and new partylist groups as part of their efforts 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.