Supreme Court to look into party-list case

The militant and left-leaning Bayan Muna has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to scratch off five political parties and other non-marginalized organizations from the list of groups earlier accredited in the party-list race on May 14.

In a 24-page petition, Bayan Muna counsel Neri Javier Colmenares said they had to seek the High Court’s help after the poll body refused to act on their petition.

"These major political parties are definitely not the marginalized and under-represented sectors referred to by the Party-List Law," Colmenares said, referring to the administration Lakas-NUCD, the opposition LDP-Lamp, Liberal Party, Reporma and Kilusang Bagong Lipunan.

The Constitution provides for the participation of sectors in the party-list elections based on the registered, national, and regional and sectoral parties and its organizations.

Republic Act No. 7941, or the Party-List System Act, added marginalized sectors to the system but now allows political parties to participate in the party-list elections in the May congressional and local elections.

The Comelec accredited a total of 162 party-list organizations and political parties. Accredited were 26 political parties, 58 sectoral parties and 78 organizations.

Bayan Muna is also seeking the delisting of non-marginalized organizations.