MANILA, Philippines – The ruling Liberal Party (LP) has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to accredit it as the dominant majority party for the coming May 2016 elections.

The filing of the verified petition was announced by the LP on Tuesday, November 10.

The LP is led by President Benigno Aquino III, who is also party chairman.

Top party members are also the highest-ranking officials in government. The LP counts Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. as its vice chairmen. Its acting president, meanwhile, is Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

Under poll automation laws, groups that are declared the dominant majority and minority party get the following advantages:

• get the fifth and sixth copies of the election returns (ER);
• get the seventh and eighth copies of the certificates of canvass, respectively;
• get electronically transmitted results from all election machines;
• be allowed to install watchers in precincts.

On the other hand, major political parties are only entitled to copies of the ERs and the certificate of canvass. The Comelec may name up to 10 major parties.

During the 2013 mid-term elections, the Comelec named the LP the dominant majority party and the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) as the dominant minority party.

In a decision released March 19, 2013, the Comelec cited the following as the basis or its ruling:

• established record (as parties, coalition, or groups that now compose them) through, among other things, their showing in past elections;
enough number of incumbent elective officials belonging to them 90 days before the date of election;
• identifiable political organizations and strengths as evidenced by their organized chapters;
• the ability to fill a complete slate of candidates from the municipal level to the position of senators;
• other analogous circumstances that may determine their relative organizations and strengths.

The LP will be fielding its president-on-leave, former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II, as it presidential bet in 2016. UNA, meanwhile, has Vice President Jejomar Binay as its standard-bearer.

Survey front runner Senator Grace Poe is running as an independent while the fourth “mainstream” presidential candidate, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, will be running as the standard-bearer of the People’s Reform Party. – Rappler.com