The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has removed a stumbling block for those opposing the participation of questionable party-list groups and nominees in the 2013 elections by allowing them to register their concern even informally with only a letter.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said such groups or persons may not have to file a formal complaint and pay the P10,000 fee to help the election body “cleanse” the party-list system.
“If they don’t want to file a formal opposition and they don’t want to pay the fee, they can just write us [a letter],” he said.
Comelec’s Resolution No. 9366, issued earlier this year, imposed a filing fee of P10,000 and a legal research fee of P100 for each petition filed with the election body.
But the Comelec would still entertain complaints sent by letter as it had inherent powers to screen the qualifications of the party-list groups and their nominees, Brillantes said.
“We have motu propio authority to look into these complaints so even without a formal complaint, we can question them (party-list groups),” he said.
According to Republic Act No. 7491, or the Party-List System Act of 1995, which created the party-list system, “any organized group of persons … provided that the sectors shall include labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers and professionals” can be registered as a party-list group.
A Comelec resolution issued in 2010 stated that a nominee should be “one who belongs to the marginalized and underrepresented sector/s, the sectoral party, organization, political party or coalition he seeks to represent.”
Last week, the Kontra Daya election watchdog group urged the Comelec to scrap the filing fee so more people could register their complaints or opposition against party-list groups and nominees whose backgrounds they deem questionable.
Last week, the group submitted a letter to the Comelec that identified several groups seeking accreditation in the midterm elections next year which it said had questionable qualifications. –Jocelyn R. Uy, Philippine Daily Inquirer
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
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Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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