Accredit Ang Ladlad party-list, Supreme Court orders Comelec

The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to put a group representing lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) back on the list of accredited party-list names that may run in the 2010 elections. It issued a temporary restraining order enjoining the Comelec from implementing its resolution denying the application for accreditation of Ang Ladlad as a party-list group.

The order came before January 25, the start of printing of ballots for the May 10 polls.

The High Court spokesman, lawyer Midas Marquez, explained that with the restraining order, Ang Ladlad now enjoys the status of an accredited party-list group with the right to participate in the 2010 elections.

But Marquez, also the concurrent assistant court administrator, said that the case against Ang Ladlad remains pending and is yet to be decided by the High Tribunal.

“We are aware of the period that the Comelec has set for the printing of the list of accredited party-list groups. If the deadline passed and the Supreme Court decided in favor of Ang Ladlad, it would be impossible to include Ang Ladlad on the list,” he pointed out. “For the time being Ang Ladlad should be included.”

Ang Ladlad was among the more than 250 party-list groups that applied for accreditation to participate in the polls.

Ang Ladlad President Danton Remoto earlier said that the Comelec, in disqualifying the group, violated international human-rights laws.

In November 2009, the poll body rejected the accreditation of the Remoto group, citing Ang Ladlad’s advocacy of “sexual immorality” and “immoral doctrines.”

Although the party-list group presented proper documents and evidence for accreditation, the Comelec said that its petition was “dismissable on moral grounds.” –RUBEN D. MANAHAN 4th REPORTER, Manila Times