Comelec vows stricter screening for party-list groups

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) vowed yesterday to strictly screen the applications of groups seeking accreditation for next year’s party-list elections.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said that the list of candidates in the 2007 party-list elections was “too long.”

“There were 93 party-list candidates then. That is too much so we are thinking of ways to reduce it. We’ll be more strict in the observance of requirements,” he said.

Of the 93 party-list candidates, only 36 have won a total of 55 slots at the House of Representatives, which is only 20 percent of the entire House seats.

For the 2010 polls, the deadline to file applications for accreditation will be July 30. Some 80 party-list groups have already applied.

Ferdinand Rafanan, director of the Comelec’s Law Department, said 600 names of candidates for various posts would be printed on the ballots for the May 10, 2010 polls.

The positions of president, vice president, senators, congressmen, governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors, city or municipal councilors and party-list groups are at stake in next year’s election.

“But out of 600 names, we’ll have to vote for only 32 candidates. We really have to trim down the list of candidates for party-list,” he added.

Rafanan maintained that by reducing the list, the ballot paper to be used in the automated polls next year would also be shortened significantly.

The Comelec had estimated that with the 600 names printed back-to-back, the ballot paper would have to be two feet long. –Sheila Crisostomo, Philippine Star