Comelec to monitor delisted party-list groups

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is keeping a tight watch on delisted party-list organizations to prevent them from making a comeback in the May 2013 polls by joining other groups.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said a one-election ban has been slapped on the 62 groups delisted recently by the poll body, but stressed the possibility that their officials and nominees will join other organizations.

He said delisted groups will have to apply again for Comelec accreditation before they can run in the 2016 polls.

“We are keeping watch over the groups that we delisted because they might move to other groups or just change the names of their organization and then apply for accreditation,” he said.

Last month, the Comelec delisted 62 of the 179 party-list groups for failing to obtain two percent of the total votes cast for party-list system in the 2007 and 2010 elections, or after their registration was cancelled by the poll body and the Supreme Court.

According to Brillantes, the Comelec is strictly screening the officials and nominees of the 172 new organizations that have filed applications for accreditation.

“This is the reason why we required the organizations to submit the list of their nominees in advance. They have just moved to other groups and it will be a violation of the law indirectly because those that have been delisted cannot run (in 2013). We would not allow them to circumvent the law,” he said.