Retirees seek junking of 11 ‘pretenders’ in party-list race

Party-list groups have taken steps to exclude political parties, businessmen’s organizations and other interest groups from the May 14 elections of party-list representatives.

The Philippine Association of Retired Persons (PARP) formally asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from accrediting the 11 existing political parties as party-list groups.

For its part, the Akbayan also petitioned the Comelec to nullify the accreditation of so-called "party-list pretenders."

The poll body has granted party-list accreditation even to major political parties such as the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Nacionalista Party (NP), Liberal Party (LP), PDP-Laban, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), People’s Reform Party (PRP), Aksiyon Demokratiko, Abag Promdi, and Organized Support for the Movement to Enhance the National Agenda (OSMENA).

In its petition, PARP branded as "unconstitutional" the Comelec’s decision to extend party-list accreditation to political parties.

PARP lawyer Jose Apolo said Article VI, Section 5 of the Constitution clearly mandates that only representatives from labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth and other sectors specified by law may be allowed to run under the party-list system.

Apolo charged that the Republic Act 7941, also known as the Party List Law, was unconstitutional as it allowed political parties to join the party-list elections.

"Political parties do not represent any particular sectors and their membership is open to all sectors of society," PARP stated in its five-page petition filed before the High Tribunal on Wednesday.

"Allowing political parties to join the party-list system will defeat the very purpose for which the party-list system was instituted," PARP stressed.

It also asked the SC to issue, for the time being, a preliminary mandatory injunction to prevent the Comelec from allowing political parties to participate in the party-list elections.

Akbayan headed by Party List Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales and Bayan Muna led by Satur Ocampo have also questioned the inclusion of major political parties and other groups identified with ousted President Joseph Estrada in the party-list system.

Rosales and Ocampo noted that there was an overwhelming public sentiment against the Comelec’s move to grant party-list accreditation to political parties, business associations and certain groups identified with Estrada.

Rosales also asked the Comelec to work closely with the legitimate party-list groups in educating the public about the party-list system. "We want the Comelec to know that they can work with us in ensuring that the spirit of the party-list law is followed."

She also revealed that legitimate party list groups have formed a loose alliance to protect the party-list votes in the May 14 polls.

For its part, a fishermen’s group called Pamalakaya urged the ruling People Power Coalition (PPC) and the Puwersa ng Masa (PnM) to withdraw from the party-list elections.

Pamalakaya leader Rodolfo Simbajon also scored the Comelec for granting party-list accreditation even to mainstream political parties and at least 10 groups identified with the disgraced leader.

He identified the Estrada groups as Ahonbayan, Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga, Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Koalisyon, Kabataan ng Masang Pilipino, Jeep ni Erap, Bagong Bayani, Business and Entrepreneurs Association, Philippine Local Autonomy Movement, and Sports and Health Development Foundation.

"The party-list system is supposed to be an exclusive club for the disenfranchised sectors, but this is not the case anymore since major political parties and their satellite groups are also in the race," Simbajon lamented.

"Mr. Estrada’s vain attempt to dominate Congress is part of his standing battle to gain political leverage under the new administration and evade charges of plunder and possible arrest," he added.

He accused the former president of undermining the party list system by saturating the party-list election with "fly-by-night groups."

"In the spirit of people power II, we dare the PPC candidates to recall their respective bids for party-list representation and let the marginalized and under-represented groups to (be heard) in Congress," the Pamalakaya leaders said. – Romel Bagares, Sandy Araneta