PARTY-LIST PURGE. Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr leads the poll body in an unprecedented purge of party-list groups. Photo by Paterno Esmaquel II

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will allow 79 groups to run in the 2013 party-list race, Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr said Thursday, November 29.

Those allowed by the Comelec to run include the following controversial groups: Gabriela, Anakpawis, Buhay, and An Waray. The poll body also allowed the gay rights group Ang Ladlad to run in 2013.

"We cannot have any perfect listing. We attempted the best that we can. We have reduced the party list to 79," Brillantes said in an interview with reporters.

Brillantes, a veteran election lawyer before he joined the Comelec, said the commission could have done better.

“I am not satisfied. If you're going to ask me, ako mismo, gusto ko na sanang in-abolish na lahat 'yan para wala nang eleksyon sa party list. Para magbago na tayo, at mag-umpisa na naman tayo ng panibagong batas na maganda,” he said. (I am not satisfied. If you're going to ask me, I want to abolish all of them so we wouldn't have party-list elections. So we can change, and start a new and better law.)

He also explained that the Comelec acted collegially in resolving these cases, with commissioners voting individually. He said there was inconsistency among them, echoing a previous statement that their deliberations on party-list groups tend to be arbitrary. (Watch more in the video below.)

The approved party-list groups comprise less than a third, or 27%, of the original 289 applicants for 2013. Of the 289 applicants, 124 had an existing Comelec accreditation while 165 were new applicants.

If the Comelec will accredit more groups, it will not exceed 5, Brillantes said.

This is the lowest number of party-list groups that Comelec allowed to run, at least in the past 6 years.

Records show that the Comelec allowed 187 party-list groups to run in 2010, the last national elections held in the Philippines. In 2010, Comelec had to allow 187 groups on the ballot because the disqualification process was not yet finished during ballot printing.

In the elections before this, held in 2007, the Comelec accredited 153 groups.

Green light

In a unanimous vote, the Comelec retained the accreditation of the following groups for 2013:

1. ATM - Abante Tribung Makabansa
2. Act Teachers - Act Teachers Party-List
3. A Teacher - Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action, Cooperation, and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms
4. Agila - Agila ng Katutubong Pilipino Inc
5. Alagad
6. AFPSEGCO - Alliance for Philippine Security Guards Cooperative
7. Ave - Alliance of Volunteer Educators Party-List
8. Allumad - Alyansa Lumad Mindanao Inc
9. Agham - Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan Inc
10. Amin - Anak Mindanao Party-List
11. Anakpawis
12. Ang Ladlad
13. Angkla - Ang Partido ng mga Pilipinong Marino Inc
14. Gabriela - Gabriela Women's Party
15. KLBP - Kababaihang Lingkod Bayan sa Pilipinas
16. Kabataan Party-List
17. Kaakbay - Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan All Filipino Democratic Movement
18. Katribu - Katribu Indigenous Peoples Sectoral Party
19. 1-Sagip - Social Amelioration and Genuine Intervention on Poverty
20. TUCP - Trade Union Congress Party

With dissenting commissioners, the Comelec retained the accreditation of the following party-list groups:

1. 1BAP - 1 Banat and Ahapo Party-List Coalition
2. Abakada - Abakada-Guro
3. Abante Ka - Abante Katutubo Inc
4. Abamin - Abante Mindanao
5. Abono Party-List
6. Adam - Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak Maharlika
7. Ating Koop - Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba
8. Agbiag - Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano Inc
9. Ada - Agrarian Development Association
10. Agap - Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines
11. Akapbata Inc - Akapbata Sectoral Organization for Children Inc
12. Akbayan - Akbayan Citizens' Action Party
13. Ako - Ako Ayoko sa Bawal na Droga
14. Alay Buhay - Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation Inc
15. AMS - Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz
16. Alyansa ng OFW Party
17. Aba - Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang Bukid, at Mangingisda
18. An Waray
19. Aambis-Owa - Ang Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma Inc
20. Alif - Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino
21. Ama - Ang Mata'y Alagaan
22. Ang NCIP - Ang National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples Action Na
23. ABS - Arts Business and Science Professionals
24. Ale - Association of Laborers and Employees
25. BH - Bagong Henerasyon
26. Bayan Muna
27. Buhay - Buhay Hayaan Yumabong
28. Cibac - Citizens' Battle Against Corruption
29. Coop Natcco - Cooperative Natcco Network Party
30. Diwa - Democratic Independent Workers' Association Inc
31. Kalinga
32. Ang Kasangga - Kasangga sa Kaunlaran Inc
33. AA Kasosyo - Kasosyo Producer
34. LPGMA - LPG Marketers Association Inc
35. PBA - Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta
36. 1 Ang Pamilya - Una ang Pamilya Party-List
37. VFP - Veterans Freedom Party
38. Yacap - You Against Corruption and Poverty

New applicants

The Comelec also accredited 21 new applicants.

Unanimously, the Comelec accredited the following new applicants:

1. AMA - Aagapay sa Matatanda
2. Ang Nars
3. Aasenso - Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero Inc
4. PWD - Pilipinos with Disabilities
5. Piston - Piston Land Transport Coalition Inc

The poll body also allowed the following new applicants to run, but with dissenting commissioners:

This is unprecedented for the Comelec, said Brillantes, with the poll body disqualifying incumbent party-list groups for the first time. In an earlier interview, he said the Comelec did this purge because “the party-list system has gone out of bounds.” (Watch more in the video below.)

“Mabuti siguro, we better send a message already, na hindi naman biruan itong party-list. Sige, mag-apply kayo. Okay lang sa amin. Tatanggapin namin ang P10,000 filing fee n'yo, pero hindi kayo nakakasiguro. Malamang hindi kayo ma-accredit,” Brillantes said.

(It might be good to send a message already, that this party-list system is not a joke. Okay, apply. It's okay on our part. We will accept your P10,000 filing fee, but you cannot be certain. You won't likely get accredited.) – Rappler.com

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