Bayan Muna, allies retain 7 House seats

MANILA, Philippines - The militant group Bayan Muna and four party-list groups allied with it are on the way to retaining their seven seats in the House of Representatives.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) resumed yesterday the canvassing of votes for the party-list race and is expected to proclaim winners within 10 days.

The Comelec, convening as the National Board of Canvassers, completed canvassing 101 certificates of canvass yesterday.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the tabulation of party-list votes showed that Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women’s Party would have two seats each, while Anakpawis, Kabataan and ACT Teachers would have one representative each.

Bayan Muna has so far obtained 945,639 votes.

“That would be a total of seven seats for Makabayan Coalition (which groups militant organizations), a great victory for us,” Colmenares said.

He said they would have eight if Piston, a militant group of jeepney drivers, would make it.

“Unfortunately, votes for Teddy Casiño were just not enough in the senatorial elections. We cannot compete with the resources of many senatorial candidates. Nevertheless, we would like to thank all our supporters,” he added.

The nominees for Bayan Muna are Colmenares and another human rights lawyer, Carlos Zarate, while Luz Ilagan and Emmie de Jesus will continue to represent Gabriela. For Kabataan, the nominee is another lawyer, Terry Ridon. Fernando Hicap will represent Anakpawis, while Antonio Tinio will have a second term as representative of ACT Teachers. George San Mateo will sit for Piston, if his group makes it.

STAR columnist and former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo heads the Makabayan Coalition.

The leading party-list group is Buhay, which is identified with Bro. Mike Velarde’s El Shaddai, with 1.2 million votes. Its nominees are Velarde’s son Michael Jr., Irwin Tieng and former Manila mayor Lito Atienza.

There are 123 party-list groups included in the ballots but 12 of them were disqualified.

Brillantes said there may be two sets of proclamation for party-list groups.

Agham concedes

The party-list group Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (Agham) has failed to retain its seat in the House of Representatives.

“We respect the will of the electorate,” Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones told The STAR yesterday.

He said he has already informed Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of his group’s impending defeat.

Belmonte in turn sent him the following message: “Sayang, Angelo. You were one of those who did his work and advanced the cause of science and technology. Hope I can still count on you.”

Palmones criticized what he described as the “horrors” of the May 13 elections.

“We saw massive vote buying and other forms of fraud. I can be proud to claim that Agham could be the most compliant on campaign rules, as not a single poster was nailed on a tree or electric post,” he said.

He said the Comelec did not have the will and determination to enforce its own rules and to prosecute violators.

Many politicians violated election rules and did not deserve to be elected, he added.

Palmones, a former radio broadcaster, plans to go back to broadcasting. As a private citizen, he vowed to pursue the mission and advocacies of Agham, the first group to concede defeat in the party-list elections.

During his short stint as a House member, Palmones was the principal author of at least two bills that became law.

One measure mandates a national health research program, while the other imposes heavier penalties on the theft, pilferage or destruction of disaster mitigation equipment.

SC relief sought

On the other hand, two more party-list groups disqualified at the last minute by the Comelec in the elections last May 13 have sought relief from the Supreme Court (SC).

The Binhi-Partido ng mga Magsasaka Para sa mga Magsasaka (Binhi) and the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (Anad) filed separate petitions with the high court yesterday seeking issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) against the poll body’s decision three days before the polls canceling their registration. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Edu Punay