Women''s group wants Akbayan Disqualified

The party-list group, Babae para sa Kaunlaran (Babae Ka) has formally urged the Commission on Elections to disqualify Akbayan Citizen''s Action Party "for violating the laws, and regulations of the Commission on Elections pertaining to the party-list system."

In a letter addressed to Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr., Babae Ka chairwoman Rosalina Dagami and president Ruth Vasquez said that "Akbayan did not only leak the names of nominees. The leaders of this party-list coalition purportedly used the names of the nominees to gain media mileage and electoral projection."

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra has earlier warned that a sectoral party organization will be disqualified after proper proceedings and due process and the merit of the case if it leaks the names of nominees.

Borra claimed that the identities of party-list nominees should not be revealed or published "so as not to confuse the voters" adding that under the law, even the poll body is not allowed to reveal the names of the nominees since they represent the party-list and not the candidates.

"Based on the official statement of the Comelec, Akbayan has clearly violated the party-list system law and trampled upon the rights of legitimate party-list organizations. Thus, we call on all party-list groups to unite for the purpose of disqualifying Akbayan, the violator of our democratic rights," Dagami said.

"Akbayan is like the school bully who always threatens new students. However, Babae Ka will never be cowed by the oppressive and forceful tactics of aging street parliamentarians who are still tied up to their antiquated methods like name-calling and unfounded accusations," Vasquez also said. - Gregg M. Rubio/BRP