Comelec to deliberate on petition for new party

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start deliberating on the petition for registration filed by the National Unity Party (NUP), a new political party established by allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, First Division presiding commissioner, told The STAR in a telephone interview that the agency would conduct the first hearing on the petition on Wednesday.

Sarmiento noted that NUP had been directed to “cause the publication” of its petition to make the public aware that it is seeking registration with the Comelec.

“They have to make it public so that if there are oppositors, they can come forward. It’s standard procedure,” he said.

According to Sarmiento, any objection may concern the use of the NUP as the party’s name or violation of any of the requirements in putting up a political party.

“The opposition may have something to do with funding – it should not be getting government or foreign funding. Or maybe it is promoting violence or it is a religious sect or denomination,” he said.

However, the NUP membership may not be used as a ground for blocking its registration with the Comelec because there is no clear-cut policy concerning political affiliation in the country.

“If you ask me if one who belongs to a certain political party can be a member of another political party at the same time, I don’t think there is a law banning that. I think it would be better if there is a law on that,” Sarmiento said.

Some members of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, the ruling party during the Arroyo administration, formed the NUP and named Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado as its secretary-general.

The group claimed to have some 3,000 members and that it held its organizational meeting on Dec. 7, 2010.

The officers of the party’s central committee are congressmen Pablo Garcia (Cebu-2nd district), chairman; Rodolfo Antonino (Nueva Ecija-4th district), president; Elpidio Barzaga Jr. (Dasmariñas), vice president for external affairs; Antonio Alvarez (Palawan-1st district), vice president for internal affairs; Albert Garcia (Bataan-2nd district), treasurer and Reginald Velasco, executive director.

Among its members are nine governors including Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu); Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado (Bulacan); Enrique Garcia Jr. (Bataan) and Adolph Edward Plaza (Agusan del Sur).

The party has 31 members in the House of Representatives, including Karlo Alexei Nograles (Davao City-1st district); Roberto Puno (Antipolo-1st district); Maria Theresa Bonoan-David (Manila-4th district); Gabriel Quisumbing (Cebu-6th district); Jorge Almonte (Misamis Occidental-1st district); Maria Valentina Plaza (Agusan del Sur-1stdistrict) and Antonio Lagdameo Jr. (Davao del Norte-2nd district).