Comelec to thoroughly screen party-list nominees

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday it will thoroughly screen the nominees of party-list organizations that will run in the 2013 midterm polls to flush out dubious groups.

In an interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the party-list groups are required to name their nominees when they file their “manifestation of intent to participate” in next year’s polls.

“That’s some of the changes there now. With the list of nominees part of submission, we can expect those (of) shady characters will be screened immediately. When they submit the names, they will be exposed to the public. Someone can complain and that is an important part of the cleaning process,” he said.

Yesterday, Comelec issued Resolution No. 9366 on the rules and regulations governing the party-list system.

It states that the manifestation shall “be accompanied by a list of at least five nominees” and shall be filed not later than May 31, 2012.

“A party-list nominee must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, a resident of the Philippines for not less than one year immediately preceding the election day, able to read and write, a bona fide member of the party, at least 25 years old,” it said.

The nominee must also belong “to the marginalized and underrepresented sector which his party-list group seeks to represent and able to contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a whole.”

The resolution showed that petitions for registration by party-list organization shall be filed not later than the “last working days of March” 2012.

In previous polls, Comelec had been bombarded with criticism over nominees who were either politicians, police and military officials or those who were deemed dummies of politicians.

A total of 182 party-list organizations ran in the 2010 polls, making the ballots very long.

Among the controversial nominees in the 2010 polls are now Ang Galing Pinoy Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, allegedly representing security guards, and retired military general Jovito Palparan’s wife Evangeline Palparan of the Bantay True Marcos Loyalists.