THE Elections Commission has declared the first 34 congressmen who will represent 27 organizations that won under the Party-list system in the May 10 elections.
Those who will represent two seats in the House of Representatives are Godofredo Arquiza and David Kho of the Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines, Walden Bello and Arlene Bag-Ao of the Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party, Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerencia de Jesus of the Gabriela Women’s Party, Jose Ping-Ay and Cresente Paez of the Cooperative Natcco Network Party, Robert Raymund Estrella and Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III of ABONO, Teodoro Casino and Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna, and Florencio Noel and Neil Benedict Montejo of the An Waray Party.
The candidates representing one seat are Nicanor Briones of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines Inc., Arnulfo Molero of the Alliance for Barangay Concerns Party, Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis, Raymund Palatino of Ang Kabataan Party-list, Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of the Abante Mindanao Inc., Antonio Tinio of Act Teachers, Carol Jayne Lopez of You Against Corruption and Poverty, Teodorico Haresco of Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran Inc., Bernadette Herrera-Dy of Bagong Henerasyon, Patricio Antonio of the Agbiag! Timpuyog Ilocano Inc., Mark Aeron Sambar of the Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta, Catalina Leonen-Pizzaro of the Arts Business and Science Professionals, Raymund Democrito Mendoza of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Angelo Palmones of the Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya Para sa Mamamayan Inc., Emmeline Aglipay of the Democratic Independent Workers Association, Ranulfo Canonigo of the Kapatiran ng mga Nakulong na Walang Sala, Abigail Faye Ferriol of the Kalinga Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation Building Through Easing Poverty Inc., Rodante Marcoleta of the Alagad Party-list, Reena Concepcion Obilio of Ang Pamilya, and Eulogio Magsaysay of the Alliance of Volunteer Educators.
The Comelec deferred the proclamation of the candidates of 12 other organizations because of the pending disqualification cases filed against them.
The groups are Ang Galing Pinoy, Ako Bicol Political Party, Buhay Hayaan Yumabong Party-list, 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption, LPG Marketers Association Inc., Ang Asosasyon Sang Manguguma Nga Bisaya-Ow Mangunguma Inc., Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives, Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy, 1-UTAK, Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms, and Butil Farmer Party.
Among the nominees of Buhay Party list were El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde and his son Mariano Michael DM Velarde, while 1-UTAK had former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Juan Miguel Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy.
The law says those groups who will receive at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for the party-list system are entitled to one congressional seat each, while those who receive more than 2 percent of the votes will have additional seats in proportion to their total number of votes.
However, each party-list organization may not be awarded more than three seats in Congress.
A total of 187 organizations submitted nominees vying for 57 seats in the House of Representatives. –Joel E. Zurbano, Manila Standard Today
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