3 party lists fail to get TRO vs Comelec disqualification

MANILA, Philippines—Three party-list groups disqualified by the Commission on Elections have failed to immediately secure a temporary restraining order or a status quo ante order from Supreme Court.

During its special  session last June 5, the court gave the Comelec 10 days to respond to the petitions filed by Kabalikat ng Bayan Ginhawang Sangkatauhan (1st Kabagis), Partido ng Magsasaka Para sa mga Magsasaka (Binhi), and Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (Anad).

“The Court resolved, without giving due course to the petition, to require the respondent to comment on both the petition and prayer for the issuance of a TRO within a non-extendable period of 10 days from notice hereof,” said the court’s resolution, which was  signed by clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal.

All the three groups failed to obtain the required minimum of two percent of the votes cast for party-list election to entitle them to one seat each in the House of Representatives.

1st Kabagis obtained about 74,000 votes; Binhi, about 154,000 and Anad, about 170,000.

The petitions of the three groups were discussed by the justice at the same time as the petitions of the Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens in the Philippines (Senior Citizens) and Abang Lingkod.

Both Senior Citizens and Abang Lingdo obtained status quo ante orders, which stopped the Comelec’s May 10 resolution disqualifying them. The Court also instructed the Comelec to reserve seats for the two groups, although their proclamations were held in abeyance while their petitions were being deliberated on by the justices.

With the issuance of status quo ante order for Senior Citizens and Abang Lingkod, the Court said all “inconsistent” orders were deemed “superseded.”