MANILA, Philippines – Party-list groups should now come out of their closets.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered all party-list organizations taking part in the May 2010 elections to make public their nominees.

It will be the first time since the inception of the party-list system in 1998 that party-list groups will identify their nominees for Congress.

Comelec said all party-list organizations are required to include the names of their nominees in their campaign posters.

This is to allow the voters to pore over the qualifications of the nominees who are to represent the party-list organization at the House of Representatives in the May 2010 national elections.

The Comelec issued a resolution underscoring the importance of keeping the voters informed on the qualifications and platforms of candidates.

“The right of the people to elect their representatives and the need to be informed of matters that have a bearing on their choice, requires party-list parties, organizations or coalitions to include the name of nominees in all campaign materials,” the Comelec said.

In issuing the new requirement for party-list organizations, Comelec said they are complying with the Supreme Court decision calling on party-list groups to make public the names of nominees.

The High Court issued the decision in granting the petition of former Akbayan party-list representative Loretta Ann Rosales to compel the Comelec to disclose the names of nominees before the May 2007 midterm elections.

Rosales argued that Malacañang used 11 party-list groups during the 2007 elections in the effort to acquire more seats at the House.

In past elections, Comelec prohibited party-list groups from disclosing their nominees to avoid “personality-based” voting and focus on the sector that the party-list organizations seeks to represent.

The Comelec secretariat yesterday reported that there are already 25 party-list organizations that have filed their manifestation of intent to participate in the May 2010 polls.

Over the weekend, seven new party-list groups filed their manifestations, namely: Diwa, UCAP, Ang Tsinoy, ABP Bicolnon, Bigkis, Aasenso Ka and ADP-Tribal.

Comelec has already accepted 18 manifestations, including two from Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac), Biyayang Bukid and Anak Mindanao (Amin) party-list on the first day of filing.

Other groups that filed their intents last Friday are 1-Utak, Buhay, Ako, An Waray, 1-Araw, Abakada, Aba Ilonggo, AKB, ABC, Agap, Ave and Abo Inc.

Interested party-list organizations have until Dec. 1 to file their manifestations to participate in next year’s elections.

Comelec said they have until March 26, 2010 to submit the names of not less than five nominees.