MANILA, Philippine – Six party-list groups which ran to the Supreme Court after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) excluded them from the 2022 elections have secured temporary restraining orders (TRO) from the High Court.

As of Thursday, December 23, these party-list groups are:

• Alliance for Resilience, Sustainability and Empowerment (Arise)
• Igorot Warriors
• Ang Tinig ng Seniors
• Lingkud Bayanihan Party (LBP)
• Ipeaceepanaw (Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Conference for Peace and Development)
• Uma Ilonggo

“Whereas, considering the allegations contained, the issues raised and the arguments adduced in the petition, it is necessary and proper to… grant the prayer for the issuance of a TRO to enjoin the Comelec from enforcing its assailed order and resolution,” the TROs read.

What is clear from the wording of the TROs is that the Comelec is barred in the meantime from implementing Comelec Resolution No. 10735, which listed the names of party-list groups prohibited from joining the December 14 raffle of party-list slots on the 2022 ballot.

“Assailed order” meanwhile referred to the individual Comelec rulings which initially denied the three party-list group’s registration bids with the poll body.

The Comelec raffle to determine the order of party-list groups’ listing on the official 2022 ballots already took place on December 14, so the exact implications of the TROs remain unclear.

On Monday, December 20, Jimenez admitted that he did not yet know how the TROs would come into play.

“I have not seen a TRO in these circumstances. Before, what was given was a status quo ante order, which is easier to understand, ‘go back to the way it was before.’ [In terms of a] TRO, I’m not even sure what they are temporarily restraining,” he had said.

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On Monday, December 20, Jimenez admitted that he did not yet know how the TROs would come into play.

“I have not seen a TRO in these circumstances. Before, what was given was a status quo ante order, which is easier to understand, ‘go back to the way it was before.’ [In terms of a] TRO, I’m not even sure what they are temporarily restraining,” he said.

Prior to December 14, the Comelec said rejected party-list groups must obtain a status quo ante order from the Supreme Court in order to participate in the raffle.

Some groups, however, were discouraged from making an appeal to the Supreme Court due to the Comelec’s delayed release of certified true copies of their denial orders.

Regardless of the outcome of the party-list groups’ cases against the Comelec with the Supreme Court, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon asserted there will not be a repeat of the raffle.

“If they win in the Supreme Court, the Comelec will add their numbers on the ballot,” Guanzon said on Friday, December 24. “We must have a final ballot face in December.”

A total of 166 groups were allowed to join the December 14 raffle, and were subsequently assigned a number on the ballot.

The Comelec first raffled off party list slots for the 2013 elections so that party-list groups with names that started with “1” or “A” wouldn’t automatically appear on top of the list.

The printing of the ballots for the 2022 automated polls will begin on January 12, 2022. – Rappler.com