Fate of three party-lists known this month

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may come out with a decision within this month on the accreditation of three party-list groups that had been documented to have unlawful campaign posters.

The Comelec on Friday started the hearings on the cases of LPG Marketers Association, Piston and Ang Kabataan party-list groups whose posters were seen outside the common poster areas in Metro Manila.

In an interview, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said they intend to speed up resolution of the cases by preventing the groups’ lawyers from resorting to delay tactics.

“Lawyers are making a living so they try to be the best in doing cross-examinations, delaying the process. But we are preventing delays because this is only administrative. We don’t have to prolong this,” he said.

Based on the outcome of the hearings, the Comelec will decide whether cases of election offense should be filed against the party-list groups.

Brillantes refused to comment when asked if the hearings could warrant the disqualification of the groups from the midterm polls this May.

“It is premature (to comment). We don’t want to make any conclusion yet,” he said.

During the hearings, the Comelec’s law department presented witness Mark Christopher Ramirez, who was part of the monitoring team that documented illegal propaganda materials of Piston along Taft Avenue.