72 more party-list groups get nod

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced yesterday that 72 more party-list groups have been accredited to participate in the midterm polls, bringing to 79 the total number of groups allowed to run in 2013.

The Comelec had given due course to the “Manifestations of Intent to Run” filed by 72 groups, on top of the seven earlier given accreditation to run. 

Two groups have nominees who are relatives of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson and Supreme Court (SC) Justice Presbitero Velasco.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the poll body might announce five more organizations next week to complete the list of qualified candidates in 2013 party-list polls.

“This is the list of the granted groups, including the retained among the existing and newly approved among the applicants, the total of which is 79. These are those who are allowed to participate in the 2013 elections,” said Brillantes.

The 11 groups earlier disqualified by the Comelec but were placed under status quo ante order by the SC after they filed an appeal are not included in the list yet.

On the other hand, the Comelec had cancelled the accreditation of 1st Kabagis, 1-UTAK that has one sitting congressman at the House, and Coalition of Senior Citizens of the Philippines (Senior Citizen) that garnered the second highest number of votes in the 2010 polls and has two representatives in the House.

Brillantes added they decided to disqualify Senior Citizens Party for doing “illegal term sharing” of nominees during their three-year term.

Senior Citizens Rep. David Kho resigned in December 2011 as House member to give way to the group’s fourth nominee Remedios Arquiza.

“They entered into an illegal term-sharing among themselves. They divided the term. It is an illegal act and it’s now being used as a ground to cancel the accreditation,” he said.

The Comelec had also denied the petition for accreditation of Alliance of Organizations, Networks and Associations of the Philippines, Inc. (Alona).

In the 2010 polls, there were 187 groups that competed for the 20 percent of seats earmarked for the party-list system at the House of Representatives.

Questionable groups

But some of the 79 groups are subjects of a petition for disqualification filed by poll watchdog Kontra Daya which has been opposing the use of the party-list system as a backdoor entry to the House.

Among the groups being questioned by Kontra Daya are the Agrarian Development Association (ADA) whose first two nominees are former deputy House speaker Eric Singson and his son incumbent Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson Jr.; Ang Mata Alagaan (AMA) whose first nominee is Lorna Velasco, the wife of SC’s Velasco, while the second and third nominees are the couple’s children lawyer Tricia Nicole Velasco-Catera and Vincent Michael Velasco.

The groups also include Ang Bagong Henerasyon which was founded by Quezon City Rep. Bernadette Cruz-Herrera Dy, the group’s first nominee.

Its second nominee is her husband Edgar Allan Dy while fourth nominee is Redentor Tuazon, senior deputy administrator for operations at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Abante Retirees whose first nominee is former Cavite Rep. Plaridel Abaya, the father of Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, and Alay-Buhay whose first nominee is businessman Weslie Gatchalian, brother of Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and Rep. Rex Gatchalian.

Ang Kasangga whose nominee is Teodorico Haresco who sits in the board of the Philippine National Oil Co.

In the 2007 polls, the group’s representative at the House was Ma. Lourdes Tuason-Arroyo, sister of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

The Comelec had disqualified 141 party-list organizations, 52 of which got their accreditation cancelled while 89 were denied accreditation.

79 approved party-list groups

Abante Tribung Makabansa (ATM), Act Teachers Party-list (ACT TEACHERS), Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms (A TEACHER), Agila ng Katutubong Pilipino, Inc. (AGILA), Alagad (ALAGAD), Alliance for Philippine Security Guards Cooperative (AFPSEGCO), Alliance of Volunteer Educators Party-list (AVE), Alyansa Lumad Mindanao, Inc. (ALLUMAD), Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agaham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan, Inc. (AGHAM); Anak Mindanao (AMIN), Anakpawis (ANAKPAWIS), Ang ladlad (ANG LADLAD), Ang Partido ng mga Pilipinong Marino, Inc. (ANGKLA), Gabriela Women’s Party (GABRIELA), Kababaihang Lingkod Bayan sa Pilipinas (KLBP), Kabataan Party-list (KABATAAN), Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan All Filipino Democratic Movement (KAAKBAY), Katribu Indigenous Peoples Sectoral Party (KATRIBU), Social Amelioration & Genuine Intervention on Poverty (1-SAGIP), Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP), 1 BANAT & AHAPO Party-list Coalition (1BAP), Abakada-Guro (ABAKADA), Abante Katutubo, Inc. (ABANTE KA), Abante Mindanao (ABAMIN), Abono Party-list (ABONO), Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika (ADAM), Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba (ATING KOOP), Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano, Inc. (AGBIAG), Agrarian Development Association (ADA), Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP), AkapBata Sectoral Organization for Children, Inc. (AKAPBATA Inc.), Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party (AKBAYAN), Ako Ayoko sa Bawal na Droga (AKO), Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation, Inc. (ALAY BUHAY), Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz (AMS), Alyansa ng OFW Party (ALYANSA NG OFW), Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang Bukid at Mangingisda (ABA), An Waray (AN WARAY), Ang Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma Inc. (AAMBIS-OWA), Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino (ALIF), Ang Mata’y Aalagaan (AMA), Ang National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples Action Na (Ang NCIP), Arts Business and Science Professionals (ABS), Association of Laborers and Employees (ALE), Bagong Henerasyon (BH), Bayan Muna (BAYAN MUNA), Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (BUHAY), Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), Cooperative Natcco Network Party (COOP NATCO), Democratic Independent Workers Association, Inc. (DIWA), Kaling (KALINGA), Kasangga sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ANG KASANGGA), Kasosyo Producer (AA KASOSYO), LPG Marketers Association, Inc. (LPGMA); Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), Una ang Pamilya Party-list (1 ANG PAMILYA), Veterans Freedom Party (VFP), You Against Corruption and Poverty (YACAP), Aagapay sa Matatanda (AMA), Ang Nars (ANG NARS), Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero, Inc. (AASENSO), Pilipinos With Disabilities (PWD), Piston Land Transportation Coalition, Inc. (PISTON), 1 joint Alliance of Marginalized Group Inc. (1JMAG), A Action Moral and Value Recovery Reform Philippines (1-AAMOVER), Abante Retirees Party-list Organization (Abante Retirees), Advance Community Development in New Generation (Ading), Ang Prolife (Ang Prolife), Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Inc. (ACT-CIS), Append Inc. (Append), Association of Marine Officer and Ratings Inc. (Amor Seaman), Isang Alyansang Aalalay sa Pinoy (1-Aaalalay), Isang Lapian ng Mangingisda at Bayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran (1-Lambat), Isang Pangarap ng Bahay sa Bagong Buhay ng Maralitang KababAya inc. (1-Pabahay), Magdalo para sa Pilipino (Magdalo), Mamamayan Tungo sa Maunlad na Pilipinas (MTM Phils.), Migrante Sectoral Party of Overseas Filipinos and their Families (Migrante), OFWS Family Club Inc. (OFW Family), and Ugnayan ng Maralita Laban sa Kahirapan (Umalab ka).  With Edu Punay