Reyes, 7 Arroyo allies could get party-list seats: Pulse

MANILA, Philippines – Former energy secretary Angelo Reyes is one of eight alleged allies of President Arroyo who could win a seat in the House of Representatives as nominees of party-list groups with links to the Arroyo administration, results of the latest Pulse Asuia survey revealed Thursday.

The survey, conducted from March 21 to March 28, showed at least 10 party-list groups getting the support of at least 2% of registered voters in the May 10 elections.

One of the 10 is the Buhay party-list, which has father and son tandem Mariano Velarde , Jr. and evangelist Bro. Mike Velarde as the first and fifth nominees. The survey showed that the party could get at least 2 congressional seats. The Velardes are known allies of President Arroyo.

On the other hand, 36 other groups could win at least one seat each in the House of Representatives based on the formula for the allocation of party-list seats discussed in the Supreme Court’s April 21, 2009 ruling. In its decision, the SC declared unconstitutional the 2% threshold in the distribution of additional party list seats stipulated in the Party-List System Act.

The survey showed that 6 other party-list groups allegedly sympathetic to the Arroyo administration are assured of at least one seat each in Congress. The groups are Abono (1.62%), ANAD (1.22%), ANAK (1.12%), 1-Utak (1.03%), AHON Pinoy (1.00%) and Kabayan (0.73%).

Reyes, who served in various government positions under President Arroyo, was chosen as the first nominee of 1-Utak party-list, which seeks to represent jeepney drivers, operators, and commuters. Reyes is facing two petitions for disqualification before the Commission on Elections.

The survey showed only two party-list groups would gain the maximum of three congressional seats in the 2010 election namely Gabriela (7.81%) and Bayan Muna (7.25%). The other top party-list groups are Akbayan (4.12%), Anakpawis (3.91%), A Teacher (2.85%), Senior Citizens (2.73%), An Warat (2.47%), AKB (2.38%) and Butil (2.03%).

Most voters don’t know party-list system

The survey also showed that almost 6 in 10 registered voters (58%) still have not heard or read anything about the party-list system. Majorities in all geographic areas (51% to 61%) and practically every socio-economic class (58% to 60%) are not aware of the party-list system.

It is only in the best-off Class ABC that a majority awareness level is recorded (55%).

The current overall level of awareness is still significantly lower than the April 2007 figure (59%), which the highest level of awareness recorded by Pulse Asia.

Pulse Asia president Prof. Ronnie Holmes said the survey used a ballot similar to the one to be used in the actual election on May 10.

“In the new ballot of the Comelec, [the names of party-list groups] are no longer vertically listed. They have 4 columns to do away with the advantage of being first on the list,” he told ANC.

Pulse Asia said the survey had 3,000 respondents. The survey has a +/- 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level. –abs-cbnNEWS.com