Bayan Muna, Gabriela top party-list poll

MANILA, Philippines – Twelve party-list groups have statistical chances of winning seats in the House of Representatives in the May 10 elections, with Bayan Muna leading the list of probable winners, according to the latest BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) Pre-Election Survey.

SWS said 12 party-list groups are guaranteed slots out of the 57 maximum seats that are reserved under the party-list system that mandates that groups which get two percent of votes cast for party-list groups would get a seat in the House.

The survey, conducted from April 16 to 19, showed Bayan Muna on top with 5.9 percent of the respondents’ votes, followed by Gabriela Women’s Party with 5.1 percent, Ako Bicol Party, 4.7 percent; Akbayan Citizens Action Party (Akbayan), 4.5 percent; Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay), 4.5 percent; and Alliance of National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly (ANUPA), 4 percent.

The Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines (Senior Citizens) got 3.6 percent, followed by Anakpawis, 3.4 percent; Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action, Cooperation, and Harmony towards Educational Reforms (A Teacher), 2.7 percent; An Waray, 2.6 percent; Abono, 2 percent; and the Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino (ALIF), 2 percent.

SWS said that based on the formula for the allocation of party-list seats discussed in the Supreme Court’s ruling on April 21, 2009, 29 other groups would win a seat in the House of Representatives.

These are the Alliance for Barangay Concerns (ABC), 1.9 percent; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC), 1.7 percent; Atong Paglaum, 1.7 percent; Cooperative-National Confederation of Cooperatives (COOP-NATCCO), 1.6 percent; Butil, 1.6 percent; Kabataan, 1.4 percent; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Manufacturers Association (LPGMA), 1.4 percent; and 1 Ang Pamilya (formerly ANC), 1.3 percent.

The other possible winners are the Kalinga, 1.1 percent; 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK), 1.1 percent; Anak, 1 percent; Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), 1 percent; 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-CARE), 0.96 percent; Pamilyang OFW-SME Network Foundation (OPO), 0.96 percent; Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD), 0.95 percent; ACT Teachers, 0.81 percent, and Womenpower, 0.81 percent.

The other groups expected to get seats include Aba Ilonggo, 0.74 percent; Abante Mindanao (Abamin), 0.73 percent; Ugnayan ng Nagkaka-isang Layunin at Adhikaing Dakila (UNLAD Pilipinas), 0.72 percent; 1Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines (1GANAP/Guardians), 0.64 percent; Ang Asosasyon sang Mangunguma nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma (AAMBIS-OWA), 0.62 percent; and Kaunlaran ng Agrikultura, Asensadong Probinsya Angat ng Bayan (Kaagapay), 0.61 percent.

The Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA), 0.60 percent; Alyansa ng OFW Party 0.60 percent; Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (AGHAM), 0.60 percent; Ang Asosasyon ng mga Trabahador at Pahinante (Ang Trabahante), 0.59 percent; Action League of Indigenous Masses (ALIM), 0.57 percent; and the A Blessed Federation of Farmers and Fishermen International (A Blessed Party-List), 0.57 percent are also likely to win House seats.

The Commission on Elections said there are currently 187 party-list groups vying for seats in the House, 32 groups were either not accredited outright or have pending motions for reconsiderations with the poll body or with the Supreme Court.

The survey involved 2,400 registered voters nationwide who were asked to fill out ballots.

The respondents were asked: “If the elections were held today, whom would you most likely vote for as president, vice-president, senator, and party-list of the Philippines? Here is a list of candidates. Please shade the oval beside the name of the persons you would most likely vote for.”   –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)