Party-list groups swamp poll body

MANILA, Philippines—Asked by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) what he plans to do with pork barrel funds, an aspiring party-list representative claiming to be a champion of migrant workers’ rights finally got to unveil his master plan.

He would use the money, he said, mainly to pay for the workers’ airfare.

In another Comelec hearing, three different organizations posturing as advocates for senior citizens were urged to join forces and form a stronger unit. But no, they said, insisting that their “platforms” were not for sharing.

In scenes like these, the Comelec has been grappling with a surge in the number of groups eyeing the party-list race in the 2010 elections, many of whom have failed to impress the poll body.

As of this month, 85 groups have filed petitions to be included in next year’s balloting, according to the Comelec. In 2007, about 90 groups vied for congressional seats.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento attributed this year’s “groundswell” to a landmark Supreme Court decision in April that increased the number of party-list seats in the House of Representatives from 22 to 55.

But then, quantity doesn’t always mean quality.

“I noticed that several [groups] seeking accreditation have no track record, and that is one of the criteria for us to accredit them,” Sarmiento told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a recent interview.

Most of the applicants also failed to show proof that they have a constituency or base support, the poll official said.

Poor grasp

“They should have offices in the regions … [but] there are none. It means that they filed their petitions in haste,” Sarmiento said.

Many aspiring groups also failed to present complete platforms that would outline how they plan to help the marginalized sectors they supposedly represent.

Their leaders merely showed a haphazard understanding of the issues, Sarmiento said.

These wannabe lawmakers—who could control up to P70 million in pork barrel funds a year should they win House seats—showed a poor grasp of governance principles and the role of party-list groups in the legislature, Sarmiento said.

During hearings held for the petitions, the Comelec also encouraged certain groups to band together if they shared a common advocacy.

But many groups flatly rejected the suggestion, arguing that only by going it alone could they carry out their respective platforms, Sarmiento said.

‘Confusing’

Comelec officials earlier expressed apprehensions over the increase in party-list seats in the House since it could require a longer ballot in the 2010 polls, just one of the many logistical challenges facing the country’s first automated elections.

Comelec Chair Jose Melo said the poll body would strictly follow the guidelines on party-list approval to ensure that only organizations with legitimate constituency are allowed to participate in the elections.

“There are so many party-list groups that it has become confusing. We will be more strict in the observance of the requirements,” Melo said.

The Comelec is accepting petitions for party-list accreditation up to Aug 17.

Groups given party-list status have until Nov. 13 to inform the Comelec if they still want to participate in the 2010 elections. –Kristine L. Alave, Philippine Daily Inquirer