13 party-list groups proclaimed
The wait is over for 13 party-list groups that were proclaimed without fanfare by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday afternoon almost two months after the May 14 polls.
A member of the Comelec staff suddenly read out a resolution containing the names of the winning groups even before the Comelec commissioners resumed the canvassing of votes for senatorial candidates.
The proclamation caught reporters, observers and some party-list lawyers unaware, as they were all waiting for the canvassing at the session hall.
“That’s it? There was not even hand raising or whatever? Is that the proclamation?” Bayan Muna lawyer Neri Colmenares asked equally surprised reporters.
In a text message, Akbayan nominee Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel complained they were not even “invited or notified” by the Comelec about their own proclamation.
“This proves once again Comelec’s dismissive and discriminatory attitude towards the party-list system,” Hontiveros said.
Party-list group Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay) topped the list of winners with 1,151,226 votes as of Comelec’s latest tally dated June 29.
The other winners are Bayan Muna, 954,922; Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac), 749,410; Gabriela, 594,958; Association of
Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC), 510,870; A-Teacher, 465,494; Akbayan, 445,346; Alagad, 422,052; Luzon Farmers Party (Butil), 404,940; Anak Pawis, 362,482; Cooperative-Natco Network Party (Coop-Natco), 369,155; Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (ARC), 315,873; Abono, 334,299.
The Comelec, however, emphasized that aside from Buhay, only the first nominee of each party can assume office by submitting his name to the House of Representatives.
Buhay, recently laced by controversy because of factionalism within the ranks, is already assured that at least three of its nominees can assume office.
In a briefing last night, Abalos explained there was no need for the party-list nominees to show up because “it’s the parties that have been proclaimed and not the nominees.”
The resolution, however, showed the proclamation was “without prejudice” to the proclamation of other party-list groups which might later get two percent of the votes pursuant to the so-called “Panganiban formula.”
According to Abalos, the Comelec would use such formula in determining the number of seats that the groups could occupy in the House of Representatives.
This was questioned by Colmenares who petitioned the Comelec to implement the so-called
Abalos immediately junked Colmenares’ request as he asked him to raise his concern to the Supreme Court, insisting that the formula is mandated by the high tribunal.
“We have no alternative. As much as we want to follow the simple
Abalos maintained that pending computation of the votes garnered by the groups based on the Panganiban formula, only one nominee per group could assume office for the meantime.
Under the law, the topnotcher in the party-list polls is automatically entitled to three seats while those who are able to reach two percent of the total number of votes cast for party-list will get one seat.
For this election the total number of votes is expected to reach 17 million, of which two percent is 340,000.
The additional seats that the parties tailing the topnotcher can occupy will be determined by dividing their votes with the number of votes of the leading party with the quotient to be multiplied by the number of additional seats that the topnotcher has.
The Comelec, however, suspended the proclamation of Bagong Alyansa Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikaing Sambayanan (Batas) which is facing a cancellation case before the poll body.
Regarding the case of Buhay, Cibac and Alagad, which has two sets of nominees, Abalos said the Comelec would meet last night to decide which faction to recognize.
Abalos added they were also to compute how many seats other party-lists could occupy in Congress.
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