MANILA, Philippines - A business group has insisted on its bid before the Supreme Court (SC) for the disqualification of the LPG Marketers Association Inc. (LPGMA) from the party-list elections.
The Federation of Philippines Industries Inc. (FPI) asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from printing LPGMA in the ballots.
In a 25-page petition, FPI argued that LPGMA should be disqualified since it does not represent a marginalized and underrepresented sector.
It stressed that although the group won a seat in Congress during the
2010 polls, the Comelec should strictly implement Section 2 of Republic Act 7941 (Party-list System Act) that states: “The State shall promote proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives through a party-list system of registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof, which will enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties.â€
“While LPGMA’s contribution in Congress has not been clear, it is obvious that the effect of its election so far is solely to advance the interest of its members vis-à -vis other businessmen engaged in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business. It has perpetrated and still seeks to perpetuate a basic unfairness that defeats and makes a travesty of proportional representation,†argued FPI through its chairman Jesus Arranza.
FPI is a federation of 40 industry groups and 87 businessmen.
LPGMA is represented in the House by Arnel Ty.