2 more incumbent party-lists disqualified from 2013 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday disqualified two incumbent party-list groups supposedly representing the energy sector from participating in the party-list derby next year.

Disqualified were Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) and 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-CARE).

“Wala namang sector for electronic consumers,” Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said when asked on their basis for disqualifying the two groups.

According to Republic Act 7941 or the Party-list System Act, representatives running under the party-list system must belong to the “marginalized and underrepresented sectors.”

The decision to disqualify the two was unanimous, Brillantes said.

1-CARE has two incumbent represenatives, Salvador Cabaluna III and Micheal Angelo Rivera, while APEC has one, Ponciano Payuyo.

Last week, Brillantes announced the disqualification of the incumbent Ako Bicol and 12 other party-list groups due to their supposed failure to prove that they represent marginalized sectors. Ako Bicol party-list representatives, however, vowed to bring their disqualification case before the Supreme Court.

Brillantes had earlier announced that the Comelec would disqualify six incumbent party-list groups from the polls. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KBK, GMA News