19 party-list groups to enter Congress

MANILA, Philippines – Nineteen party-list groups that lost in the 2007 elections can now enter Congress after the Supreme Court (SC) voided the two-percent threshold in the distribution of party-list seats.

In declaring unconstitutional a provision in Republic Act 7941, the Party-List System Act, the SC opened 32 additional seats for the 19 party-list groups and others now in Congress.

Ruling from Baguio City, the SC also revised the formula of retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban granting a maximum of three seats to the party-list group that topped the elections.

In the new formula, the percentage of votes garnered by each party-list candidate is computed by dividing the number of votes garnered by each party by 15,950,900, the total number of votes cast for party-list candidates.

In effect, the SC has granted one seat each to the 19 party-list groups.

These are: Alagad, FPJPM, Uni-Mad, ABS, Kakusa, Kabataan, Aba-ako, Alif, Senior Citizens, AT, VFP, Anad, Banat, Ang Kasangga, Bantay, Abakada, 1-Utak, TUCP, and Cocofed. Banat, or Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency. – Edu Punay, Aurea Calica