Ako Bicol, 3 others disqualified

MANILA, Philippines - A frontrunner in the 2010 party-list elections has been barred from taking part in next year’s polls by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which ruled that it does not represent any marginalized sector.

Three other party-list groups with incumbent representatives are also facing disqualification. They were not identified by the poll body.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said Ako Bicol (AKB) should not be allowed to run in the party-list elections in 2013 despite its having incumbent representatives, who turn out to be among the wealthiest in Congress.

Twelve applicants in the party-list polls, meanwhile, have been disqualified largely for the same reason.

AKB got 1,524,006 votes in 2010, the biggest among party-list organizations. It is the only party-list group with three representatives in the House.

AKB’s three representatives, however, would be allowed to finish their term. They vowed to question their disqualification by the Comelec before the Supreme Court.

“AKO Bicol garnered the highest number of votes and they have three incumbent congressmen right now but we are denying their participation in 2013 party-list elections,” Brillantes said.

“It does not mean that if you are a political party, you can just run in the party-list system without filing a separate petition, which they did not do,” he said.

He said AKB was accredited for the 2010 polls as a political party and not as a party-list group. Comelec’s accreditation of AKB as a political party stays.

In its decision, the Comelec said provinces in the Bicol region were already well represented in Congress.

“These provinces have their respective district representatives in the Lower House. If this Commission were to allow AKB’s continued participation in the party-list system, the Commission is condoning the continued and blatant violation of proportional representation,” the Comelec said in its decision. “(They) will have a number of representatives more than the number allowed by the Constitution.”

The poll body added that AKB clearly does not represent a specific marginalized or underrepresented sector such as labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor or indigenous communities.

Comelec said AKB representatives Christopher Co, Rodel Batocabe and Alfredo Garbin Jr. do not appear to be marginalized or underrepresented. It said Co is a businessman, while Batocabe and Garbin are lawyers.

“As to how lawyers, businessmen and ophthalmologists are marginalized and underrepresented is not shown by AKB and its nominees,” Comelec said.  

Also disqualified were 1-AANI, 1GANAP/GUARDIANS, 1st PRISA, A BLESSED, ANUPA, ARC, ARAL, ATONG PAGLAUM, ORAGON, UNIMAD, 1-BRO PGBI, and YES WE CAN.

Brillantes also said the poll body is preparing a resolution on the disqualification of three more party-list groups.

“Aside from Ako Bicol party, we are going to remove several other congressmen. They will be on their way out. We are very strict now,” he said in a media seminar organized by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the United States Agency for International Development. He declined to name the three.

He said the Comelec would continue to remove unqualified party-list groups “unless stopped by the Supreme Court.”

Succor from SC

Batocabe and Garbin later told a news conference that they would seek a temporary restraining order from the SC possibly next week.

“We want to stop the Comelec from enforcing its decision because we want to be included in the ballot for next year’s elections. If we are not in the ballot, that may be the end for us,” Batocabe said.

In its ruling, the Comelec said it would immediately enforce the Bicol party’s disqualification. This would mean that it would not include the party-list group in the ballot. Batocabe also accused the poll body of singling them out.

“They declared that we are lawyers and businessmen who should not represent marginal sectors, but there are other lawyers and businessmen representing marginalized groups in the House,” he said.

He said their disqualification is unfair to the more than 1.5 million people who voted for Ako Bicol in 2010.

“The Constitution and the party-list law allow regional political parties to be represented in the House,” Garbin said.

“We are at a loss since the Comelec accredited us in 2010 as a marginal regional political group and allowed us to participate in the party-list elections,” he said. “We did not expect the decision.”

Co could not be reached for comment.

For 2011, Co, Batocabe and Garbin declared a net worth of P90.1 million, P30.2 million and P9.7 million, respectively.

AKB is identified with Bicol businessman-contractor Zaldy Co, a close friend of the Arroyos. Rep. Co is the contractor’s brother.

Militant youth group Anakbayan lauded the Comelec decision disqualifying AKB, whose representatives, it said, “come from influential families and clearly are not marginalized and underrepresented.”

“It is an injustice to allow them to continue holding seats in Congress and to represent the marginalized. They should be removed,” the youth group said.

At the same time, Anakbayan urged the Comelec to also disqualify administration allies Akbayan and Black and White Movement.

“It is a big joke for Comelec to allow Akbayan to represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors when its leaders, members and current set of nominees are holding key government positions, including Cabinet-level appointments, making them well-entrenched in government and giving them awesome powers and access to vast government resources,” it said.

It named Malacañang’s political adviser Ronald Llamas, Human Rights Commission chief Etta Rosales, National Anti-Poverty Commission chairman Joel Rocamora, and Government Service Insurance System board member Mario Agujo as among former and incumbent Akbayan officers holding government jobs.

Another Akbayan leader, Risa Hontiveros, is an administration senatorial candidate.

Akbayan has two incumbent representatives in the House.  

Siquijor Rep. Orlando Fua also called for the disqualification of Akbayan.

“They shed their party-list status and accreditation,” Fua said. “They are all over the country, all over the government.”

Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, for her part, said it was too early to say whether the Comelec had abused its discretion in delisting party-list groups.

“It’s better to wait and see who will be accredited and who will be disqualified and from there you will be able to make a conclusion on what was the basis of the Comelec on their decision. If partisan politics played a role, then definitely there will be an uproar,” Magsaysay said.