The poll body will no longer require groups or organizations to submit the name of their nominees when they apply to be accredited as party-list, said acting Comelec chairman Christian Robert Lim. He said this is because SC ruling in the Atong Paglaum case had rendered the nominees insignificant party-list elections.
“Luluwag na kami sa party-list because of the Atong Paglaum case. Dati kapag nagfile sila ng manifestation of intent (to run) dapat kasama na ang list of nominees. Ngayon sabi ng Supreme Court wala na yon,” he said.
(“The party-list rules will be relaxed because of the Atong Paglaum case. Before, after they file their manifestation of intent to run, the list of nominees should be included. Now, the Supreme Court said, that’s no more).”
In its ruling, the high tribunal said that the Party-List System Act does not require that parties or organizations be marginalized and under-represented for accreditation as party-list.
The high court also ruled that party-list nominees do not have to come from the marginalized and under-represented sectors that they wish to represent in Congress. Even mere advocates could not become nominees.
Lim said party-list groups should now be screened only against basic requirements like membership, existence, background, and headquarters.
The Supreme Court ruling stemmed from the consolidated petitions filed by 54 groups that were disqualified by Comelec as part of efforts to eliminate bogus party-list organizations.
These groups were junked for lack of track record, failure to show that they belong to the marginalized sector, and for having nominees that do not belong to these sectors.
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