Kontra Daya welcomes disqualification of ANAD from party-list

MANILA, Philippines - Poll watchdog Kontra Daya yesterday welcomed the disqualification of the party-list group Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD), which is an alleged anti-communist group that was supported by the military in the 2004 elections.

Kontra Daya also praised the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division for denying the application for accreditation as a party-list group of Black and White Movement, which has been associated with the Aquino administration.

“Of course we’re happy that the Comelec has upheld our contention against these bogus party-list groups,” said Kontra Daya convenor Fr. Joe Dizon.

Dizon said they hope that “the streak of favorable decisions by our poll officials will extend to include bigger and more influential groups, specifically Akbayan, while recognizing party-list organizations that genuinely represent the marginalized and under-represented sectors.”

The group had filed a disqualification case against Akbayan, claiming that it is no longer a marginalized and underrepresented sector, owing to the appointment of many of its members in the Aquino administration.

ANAD was among the 19 party-list groups deemed not qualified by the Comelec to join in the 2013 polls.

Dizon added that the Comelec should uphold the decision of its First Division that disqualified Black and White Movement.

“The people could not afford to relax until the entire system is completely purged of fake party-list groups. That remains to be their biggest test,” he maintained.

Malacañang assured the people that the administration would not defend Black and White Movement that was disqualified by the Comelec’s First Division from party-list elections in 2013.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he always maintained that the Comelec has its own rules and standards and they based their decisions on their appreciation of the rules.

Lacierda, a former member of the Black and White Movement, said he had been defending the group but his personal opinion should not matter at this time.

“We will leave it with the Comelec. I have always maintained Comelec is a constitutional commission – separate and independent from the executive branch,” Lacierda said.

“This is a (Comelec) division decision. I don’t know the next action that the Black and White will take. I do believe, however, since I’m a former member of the Black and White, I know the principles that it stands for. But, as to its disqualification, that’s another matter,” he said.

With the current problems involving the qualifications of party-list groups, Lacierda said it would be up to the legislators to make amendments to the law as proposed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.

Meanwhile, the 1st Consumer’s Alliance for Rural Energy Inc. (1-CARE) questioned before the Supreme Court (SC) today the decision of the Comelec to disqualify the group from the party-list elections next year.

It was the third petition filed by a disqualified party-list group before the high court.

Ako Bicol provincial political party and Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) had earlier filed similar petitions.

In a 56-page petition, 1-CARE asked the high court to immediately issue a temporary restraining order or a status quo ante order enjoining Comelec from implementing its resolution issued last Oct. 16 and eventually declare the assailed order null and void.

Carlos Roman Uybarreta, secretary general of 1-CARE, said that Comelec has “no jurisdiction to determine the qualifications of members of Congress.”

The group insisted it is a legitimate and qualified sectoral organization as defined in RA 7941 simply because it is “a group of citizens who share similar characteristics, interests or concerns.”

Comelec cannot adopt a new concept of marginalized and underrepresented that is contrary to the interpretation made by the SC in 2001, the petitioners stressed.

– With Aurea Calica, Edu Punay