Some party-list nominees still can’t sit in Congress

MANILA, Philippines—Three more party-list groups were proclaimed winners in the May 10 polls by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday but their first nominees still can’t take their seats when Congress opens on Monday.

Proclaimed were 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK); Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action, Cooperation and Harmony toward Educational Reforms (A Teacher), and Butil Farmers Party.

The three groups were among the 11 winners of the party-list race whose proclamations were deferred due to questions about their registration.

However, the first nominees of these groups still can’t take their seats because of pending cases regarding their qualifications to represent their sectors.

The first nominees of 1-UTAK and A Teacher, former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Mariano Piamonte, respectively, will not be able to take their seats in Congress until their cases are resolved.

Militant transport groups questioned Reyes’ qualification to represent marginalized members of the transport sector.

The Comelec said the groups’ second nominees may initially assume the organizations’ House seats when the legislative session opens.

In the case of Butil, it has two rival sets of nominees.

“The issue of disqualification of party-list nominees does not pertain to the qualification of an organization to participate in the party-list system of representation and should, therefore, not affect the entitlement of the party-list organization to guaranteed additional seats,” said the Comelec, acting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBC).

According to the NBC tally, A-Teacher received 614,725 votes; Butil, 506,703 votes; and 1-UTAK, 220,002 votes.

The three groups are thus entitled to one seat each in the House of Representatives.

With the resolution of the cases of the three groups, 36 of the 57 seats allotted for party-list groups in the House have been filled.

On May 31, the NBC proclaimed 28 party-list groups, allotting them 33 seats.

The top-ranked groups were entitled to more than one seat.

Meanwhile, eight other party-list organizations have pending petitions to cancel their registrations. These are: Ako Bicol Political Party, Buhay Hayaan Yumabong, First Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption, LPG Marketers Association Inc., Ang Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma Inc., Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives, and Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy.

This means their nominees, even if they are qualified, cannot take their seats in the House until the petitions are resolved. –Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer