Comelec proclaims party-list for laborers

FORMER President and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga will have more allies in Congress after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed the party-list group of her cousin to sit in the House of Representatives.
This was after the Comelec en banc issued a Certificate of Proclamation to party-list group Association of Laborers and Employees (ALE).

ALE will be represented by one of its nominees, Erlyn de Leon, who will sit in the Fifteenth Congress representing the workers group.

De Leon has good credentials, being a certified public accountant and a lawyer. She is married to former Department of Justice (DOJ) Regional State Prosecutor Carlos de Leon.

She was a former official in Malacañang during Arroyo’s time as she was the one in charge of the appointments in government that will be signed by Arroyo.

Besides de Leon, ALE party-list group has three nominees in their website which includes former Sasmuan, Pampanga Mayor and now Provincial Board Member Catalina Cabrera-Bagasina and Mitz Magtoto.

The Manila Times learned that while de Leon was the second nominee of ALE after Bagasina, she would have a term sharing with Magtoto since Bagasina was currently occupying a government position in Pampanga.

In the Fifteenth Congress, there are five Arroyo relatives starting with the former president, Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo of Camarines Sur, Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) party-list, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occiental and De Leon.

The Comelec has also proclaimed party-list group Adhikaing Itinataguyod ng Kooperatiba and the group Kasosyo, Producers-Consumers Exchange Association Inc.

The three additional party-list groups were proclaimed on the basis of the special elections held by the Comelec in Bulacan, Lanao del Sur and Basilan.