Akbayan’s fate still uncertain

CEBU, Philippines - The fate of Akbayan, which is allied with the Aquino administration, remains hanging even as the Commission on Elections has accredited three more party-list groups to run in the 2013 polls.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes announced yesterday that the poll body granted accreditation to three groups after lengthy deliberation.

“The only announcement that I will make is we granted the accreditation for the three groups... Our position is unanimous in granting them,” Brillantes said.

Brillantes identified the three groups included in the list of accredited party-list organizations as Piston Land Transport Coalition Inc. (PISTON), Aagapay sa Matatanda, Inc. (AMA), and Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero, Inc. (AASENSO).

The PISTON nominees are: George San Mateo, Edilberto Arcena Gonzaga, Edgardo Anas Salarda, Rolando Mingo, Eduardo Ferreras, and Modesto Floranda.

The AMA nominees are: Ricardo Agapito, Agustin Dizon, Feliciano Rosete, Linda Gaddi-David, Alberto Santos, Lorenzo Rigonan, Ruperto Eugenio, Juan Roldan, Zoilo Abenoja, and Josue Mora.

The nominees of AASENSO are: Teodoro Montoro, Robert Ganzon, Samuel Bumangil, Eladio Gatmaitan, and Marcelo Soriano.

The Comelec said the three groups will be included in the official ballots for the party-list race.

The Comelec earlier approved the accreditation of Ang Nars Inc. (ANG NARS) and the Pilipinos With Disabilities (PWD).

Brillantes said the commissioners remained divided on Akbayan’s qualification to run in the party-list polls next year.

He said the issue has been voted upon, but the results are yet to be finalized.

“The only final voting is when we write it down and sign (the resolution),” said Brillantes. 

Meanwhile, amidst the disqualification of party-lists by Comelec and the accusations of fellow party-lists that they are a “fake party-list”, former Akbayan party-list representative Risa Hontiveros said that they are confident their party-list will remain.

During an interview with the media in Cebu yesterday, Hontiveros said that she believes in the capacity of Comelec to determine which party-lists should not remain.

She also said they sympathize with the disqualified party-lists and believes that the party-lists should not have been disqualified.

Comelec recently disqualified 19 party-lists groups stating that the said groups were more of “advocacy” groups rather than a group supposed to represent marginalized sectors of society, as provided by the Constitution.

However, Hontiveros said that some party-lists should learn how to “respect” the other groups.

Hontiveros shared that she used to believe that no criticism against her camp would make her furious but lately, she heard a rumor about the party-list which made her very angry.

“They said that some mass organizations who are our partners are in effect ‘bayaran or beneficiaries’.”

She said that this was very unfair for their members who have been there for a long time, even without the representation of the party-list.

A number of party-lists led by Anakbayan have called for the disqualification of Akbayan pointing out that its close alliance with and alleged support by the Aquino administration hinders them from representing the marginalized sector.   (FREEMAN)