Kiko Pangilinan slams decision naming Villar-led NP as minority party
MANILA, Philippines — The decision of the Commission on Elections to name the Nacionalista Party—a party allied with President Rodrigo Duterte—as the dominant minority party in the May 13 elections has enraged the opposition Liberal Party.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, LP president and campaign manager of Otso Diretso coalition, called the poll body’s decision—which came out only four days before the elections—“absolutely unacceptable” in a statement Friday.
In a resolution Thursday, Comelec declared the administration-backed PDP-Laban as the dominant majority party. It, meanwhile, named the Cynthia Villar-led Nacionalista Party as the dominant minority party in the midterm polls.
Comelec also accredited LP, Nationalist People’s Coalition, United Nationalist Alliance, Lakas-CMD, Workers and Peasants Party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, National Unity Party and Aksyong Demokratiko as major political parties.
Pangilinan questioned why both parties allied with the administration became the majority and minority.
“Honorable commissioners, your decision runs counter to democracy, runs counter to the basic tenets of fair play, runs counter to common sense. Incredible. You chose to deny the existence of the opposition and gave all the privileges to the administration,” the LP stalwart said.
He added: “This is no different from the decision and politicking of politicians in the House of Representatives when they proclaimed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo [as] speaker and elected as minority leader their ally and party-mate Rep. Danny Suarez. Is Comelec also engaged in politicking?”
‘Don’t be blind’
Pangilinan appealed to the poll body not to become an “instrument” of the administration to destroy the country’s democracy.
“We appeal to Comelec, don't pretend to be blind. Don't be an instrument and a tool of the Administration in trampling on our political rights and mangling our democracy. Has the Comelec become a sycophant too?” he said.
The LP president: “This is absolutely unacceptable. We oppose this. We will oppose before the Supreme Court. No retreat. Never surrender.”
Comelec said the watchers of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties shall be given preference if space in the canvassing is limited.
According to Comelec, several criteria, including the ability to field candidates from municipal to senatorial level as well as the number of incumbent elected officials belonging to a particular party have been considered as qualification.
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