Comelec wants ‘total overhaul’ of party-list law

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. wants a “total overhaul” of the party-list law so that it can be improved before the 2016 elections.

“I still strongly believe that marginalized and underrepresented should be the key,” Brillantes told reporters when asked about the recent decision of the SC to allow nonmarginalized sectors to participate in the upcoming 2013 elections.

The SC returned the cases of 39 partylists groups, not 41 as previously reported, that were disqualified by the Comelec, and issued new guidelines for their review.

Brillantes said that there was one party-list of senior citizens that filed more than one case with the SC so they were counted more than once.

“The essence of the partylist is gone, from the very beginning my concept of partylist is sectoral and marginalized,” Brillantes said.

“What we need is a total overhaul of the system, not the constitution, but its the existing law itself on the partylist,” he said.

Brillantes said that there were already many pending amendments to the partylist law in Congress and many of which were very good. It just needs to be completed before the 2016 elections, he said.

The Comelec will begin hearing the cases of the partylists by Tuesday next week, Brillantes said.

“I’m sure [we can finish hearing all cases], we don’t really have to hear all … maybe just half…those that are still in the gray area. There are some who will automatically be allowed,” Brillantes said.

He also said that even though he feels disappointed and frustrated with the decision of the SC, he has “no choice but to follow … the decision of the highest court of the land.”