13 parties disqualified

Ako Bicol Assails Comelec For Using Party-List As Test Case

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified yesterday the Ako Bicol (AKB) party and 12 other party-list groups from participating in the May 2013 polls.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, in an interview, said they are denying the participation of AKB in next year’s polls mainly because it does not represent a marginalized sector.

“They are a duly accredited political party, but they are trying to run in the party-list without representing any particular sector. They did not file any special petition to run in 2013 elections,” he said.

“It does not mean that if you’re a political party you can just run in the party-list system without filing a separate petition, which they did not do,” added Brillantes.

To recall, AKB was the number one party-list in the 2010 elections, garnering the highest number of votes.

“They have three incumbent congressmen right now, but we are denying their participation in 2013 party-list elections,” Brillantes said.

He said they came out with the resolution on AKB first so as to give the group the opportunity to go to the Supreme Court.

“We want the Supreme Court to rule on it, and I hope Ako Bicol will take the necessary step to the SC. This decision is no longer subject to a motion for reconsideration. This is the final decision of Comelec. It is commission en banc,” said Brillantes.

The poll chief already said that the party-list representatives currently in office will not be removed from their posts.

“Their term will end on June 30, 2013, but they cannot participate in the 2013 elections under the party-list system,” Brillantes said.

Aside from AKB, the Comelec also cancelled the accreditation of 12 existing party-list groups namely: 1-AANI; 1-BRO Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (1-BRO PGBI); 1 Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines, Inc. (1 GANAP/Guardians); First People’s Initiative for Indigent Student Athletes (1st PRISA); A Blessed Partylist; Alliance for National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly, Inc. (ANUPA); Alliance for Rural Concerns (ARC); Association for Righteousness Advocacy on Leadership (ARAL); Atong Paglaum; Organization of Regional Advocates for Good Governance Onward Nation-Building (ORAGON); United Movement Against Drug Foundation, Inc. (UNIMAD); and Yes We Can.

Earlier, the poll body already disqualified 17 party-list groups.

Meanwhile, AKB congressmen criticized the Comelec yesterday for using their organization to get a legal directive from the Supreme Court to either uphold or junk the poll body’s decision disqualifying them.

This developed as the House minority bloc said the claims of a Comelec witch-hunt of partylist organizations linked to the Arroyo administration remains inconclusive.

“We still have to look into the ratio of party-list groups that would lose accreditation,” said Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mitos Magsaysay.

AKB is represented by three of its top nominees – Reps. Rodel Batocabe, Christopher Co and Alfredo Garbin.

“We are being used as a test case,” declared Batocabe.

Batocabe was apparently referring to the statement issued by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes that he hoped Ako Bicol will pursue the case to the Supreme Court in order that the poll body’s unanimous decision can be validated.

“This is very unfortunate for us and our constituents who gave us the clear mandate to represent them in the Lower House,” said Batocabe.

Garbin, who, like Batocabe, is also a lawyer, agreed that the issue may be brought to the High Court. He also stressed that the party-list organization should be given a chance to seek a motion for reconsideration before the poll body.

Batocabe and Garbin said the issues raised against them have already been resolved in 2010, and that this is the reason why their organization was able to land three Lower House posts.

In a press conference, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Magsaysay agreed that there is indeed a move to disqualify several party-list organizations which have been accused of getting support from the Arroyo administration.

However, Suarez said it is still too early to claim that a Comelec witch-hunt has been launched against Arroyo allies in the Lower House.

Magsaysay said the best way to gauge a claim of witch-hunt is to determine the ratio of disqualification of minority party-list groups as against those supportive of the Aquino government.

Although it had been tagged as an Arroyo ally, Ako Bicol promptly re-aligned with the Aquino administration after its 2010 victory. It has never considered itself in alliance with the Arroyo group although its reported founder, contractor Zaldy Co, is a close friend of the former president. Reportedly in danger of being disqualified are opposition partylist groups Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy of Rep. Pastor Alcover; Alliance of Laborers and Employes under Rep. Catalina Bagasina; AA Kasosyo Party-list of Rep. Nasser Pangandaman and Una ang Pamilya by Rep. Reena Obillos.

Ang Galing Pinoy, represented by Arroyo son, Rep. Mikey Arroyo, has reportedly opted out of the party-list race in 2013. –LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO and BEN R. ROSARIO, Manila Bulletin