5 party-list congressmen proclaimed

Five party-list candidates for the House of Representatives were proclaimed as winners yesterday, a year and a half after the last congressional elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed as the latest sectoral representatives Edgar Valdez and Sunny Rose Madamba, Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC); Mario Aguja, Akbayan; Leonila Chavez, Butil; and Ma. Blanca Kim Bernardo-Lokin, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac).

The Supreme Court had lifted the temporary restraining order which was issued after they won in last year’s elections for national and local officials.

Lokin said that their proclamation, although long delayed, is a victory for the underrepresented and marginalized sectors of society.

She added that in the face of the ignominy of being named as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, there must be a no-nonsense effort to make a turnaround and save face in the international community.

"We may not be able to totally eradicate it (corruption) but for sure we can lessen it down to size," she said.

Earlier, the Comelec had proclaimed seven party-list candidates: Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza and Crispin Beltran of Bayan Muna; Ernesto Pablo, APEC; Loreta Anne Rosales, Akbayan; Benjamin Cruz, Butil, and Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Cibac.

In a resolution issued last Nov. 6, the Comelec declared the following party-list organizations to have won seats in Congress:

• APEC, three seats.

• Akbayan, two seats.

• Butil, two seats.

• Cibac, two seats.

• Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (BUHAY), two seats.

• Anak Mindanao (AMIN), one seat.

• Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka at Manggagawang-Bukid at Mangingisda (ABA), one seat.

• COCOFED, one seat.

• National Confederation of Irrigators Association (NCIA), one seat;

• Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), one seat.

• Sanlakas, one seat.

The Comelec has yet to proclaim as winners party-list candidates Rene Velarde and Mariano Logarta, BUHAY; Mujiv Hataman, AMIN, Dioscoro Granada, ABA; Emerito Calderon, COCOFED; Orlando Soriano, NCIA; Renato Magtubo, PM; and Jose Virgilio Bautista, Sanlakas.

The top 10 party-list organizations are:

• Bayan Muna– 1,708,253 votes of 24.95 percent of votes garnered;

• APEC– 802,060 votes or 11.71 percent.

• Akbayan – 377,852 votes or 5.52 percent.

• Butil– 330,282 votes or 4.82 percent.

• Cibac – 323,810 votes or 4.73 percent.

• BUHAY – 290,760 votes of 4.25 percent.

• AMIN – 252,051 votes or 3.68 percent.

• ABA– 242,199 votes or 3.54 percent.

• COCOFED– 229,165 votes of 3.35 percent.

• NCIA– 223,996 votes of 3.27 percent.

Present at the proclamation were Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, and Commissioners Mehol Sadain, Ralph Lantion, Resurreccion Borra and Luzviminda Tancangco.

The party-list system of representation is mandated under Republic Act 7941 to allow Filipinos from the marginalized and underrepresented sectors to elect representatives to Congress.