Fewer partylists all set to run in 2013 – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines – The number of partylist groups that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allowed to run in the 2013 midterm elections is less than half of that in 2010.

Based on statistics provided by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento Wednesday, only 83 partylist groups have been allowed to participate in the 2013 elections compared to the 187 groups in 2010.

A total of 269 groups have been either delisted, cancelled, or denied, Sarmiento said. Sixty were delisted, 15 did not file intent to participate, 54 existing groups were cancelled, while 140 of new applicant groups were denied.

Of the total 83 allowed partylists, only 58 of the existing groups have been allowed to participate in next year’s elections while only 25 new applicant groups were approved.

The Comelec had decided to review all partylist groups to weed out so-called “bogus party-list groups” whose candidates don’t represent the marginalized sector they claim to belong to.

Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. had said that “the partylist system has become a joke,” and even expressed his desire to abolish the entire system.

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

Several partylist groups have sprouted claiming to represent blind indigents, urban poor, and persons with disabilities but whose candidates are neither blind, poor, nor have any disability. Some were reportedly coming from wealth political families.

At least 25 of the barred partylist groups were successful in obtaining a status quo ante order from the Supreme Court after they were disqualified from participating in next year’s elections.