Letter to the editor - Party list nominees should be made public

CEBU, Philippines - Farm workers' group pushes the Commission on Election to divulge party list nominees. Saying that nominees list should be put in black and white to ensure the genuine participation of marginalized sector in the 2010 May poll should be realized.

Now that the campaign is heating up, we are challenging Comelec to immediately release the list of all party list nominees in black and white and by all means publish all nominees' of every party list in all major newspapers nationwide so that the voting populace will know the real deal about all party list nominees.

Since the campaign began, the Comelec was bombarded with organizations who wanted to run in the party list system. We are alarmed by reports that party list system is used by active government officials to get in the House of the Representatives, seeing the situation for an easy way to get in congress. And we cannot discount Malacañang's involvemnt on this sudden party list rush. That is why Comelec should publish the list of all nominees so that we can scrutinize these candidates and their backgrounds.

Many questioned some party list organizations because of its dubious backgrounds and its motives to run. By rights, we join other progressive organizations on filing disqualification cases against these groups pretending to represent marginalized sectors. We are bothered of many reports that administration lackeys are behind this pool of party list organizations that pop up like mushrooms. These was design to put more GMA allies in congress which in time will put her in the pedestal of power once more as prime minister.

This is the right time Comelec should prove its impartiality and credibility as an institution, it is imprudent to say that this is a hard job. In the first place that is part of their job that they sworned to do. If these groups have nothing to hide then by all means they should submit their nominees and do not wait till the March 26 deadline so that Comelec can publish their names as early as possible to the public. By disclosing each and every party list nominees, we can erase any shadow of doubts casting the party list system.

Edna Velarde

National Coordinator

Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA)