Push Admin

Comelec to purge list of political parties, party-list groups

Article (news)

Sherrie Ann Torres

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Political organizations and party-list groups that will be delisted for next year’s national and local polls will be made public by the Commission on Elections a week or two after the October 1 to 8 filing of certificates of candidacy (COC), the Commission on Elections said Friday.This is to prevent members of bogus or already deactivated political parties from continuously soliciting funding support, according to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.“Ilalahad po natin yan para maiwasan yung mga again, nagso-solicit. Hindi naman pala talaga existing na (ang party). Meron din namang existing, nagso-solicit, hindi naman ginagastos ng tama. Minsan may sobra. Ang tanong, nasaan yung sobra? Hindi ba dapat pag may sobra dapat may income tax?” Garcia said.(We will disclose to prevent unwarranted solicitations, specifically by those who solicit funds using no longer existing parties. Others who have existing parties, but don’t spend the money. Still, there are others who have excess campaign contributions but do not declare, when that should be taxed.)The disclosure will include the publication of each candidate’s Certificate of Candidacy (COC), Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) and Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA).The process of delisting by first meeting with political groups, specifically the “10 biggest political parties”, will happen next month, Garcia said.The qualifications include checking each party’s history, number of incumbents and coalesced parties, he added.Meanwhile, details of candidates of parties that will be accredited will be published in the Comelec website, Garcia said.Garcia also disclosed the commission’s plan to restrict the qualifications for party-list group nominees.Aside from requiring party-list groups to submit their final 10 names for nominees, the commission will also come up with steps on how to determine if the submitted candidates are fit for the job.This will be done by publishing the list of nominees per party-list group, Garcia said.“Pagka po kasi nagsa-submit sila ng mga parties, ng mga nominees, pina-publish po natin yan... upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga kababayan natin na mag-kwestyon kung gusto nila, o i-oppose ang isang nominee,” Garcia said.(We publish the parties, nominees to inform the public who may want to question them.)A nominee can be questioned by any voter if one feels that the aspirant is unqualified for the post.“Upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga kababayan natin na mag-kwestyon kung gusto nila, o i-oppose ang isang nominee sapagkat yung nominee na yan, sa kanilang palagay, wala na ngang adbokasiya, hindi pa kabilang dun sa sektor na kanyang nire-representa,” Garcia said.(The public can question a nominee if they feel that that person has no advocacy, or is not part of the sector that he or she represents.)“Maghihintay po kami ng ganun,” he added.(We will wait for those kinds of petitions.)The publication – both in major newspapers and Comelec website – will commence once the final list of party-list nominees and political groups are finalized, Garcia said.“Asahan nyo po, in less than one week, ipa-publish namin yung listahan ng mga nominees, ng mga partido, political organization. Para po magkaroon ng kaalaman ang mga kababayan natin,” Garcia told journalists.(In less than one week, we will publish the list of nominees, parties, political organizations, so our people would know)<div>VOTERS’ LIST WILL BE ALSO CLEANSED</div>Even the voter’s list will also be cleansed by the Comelec from those who have failed to vote twice, and those who misrepresented themselves.Garcia clarified that voters who have already processed their applications to the Comelec must still be evaluated by the commission.As of last count, the Comelec has processed more than 4.6 million voter applications.That is aside from the 5 million deactivated voters.“Natatandaan nyo po may binigay sa inyo na parang stub. Ibig sabihin po nyan yan yung number na ibibigay sa inyo kung sakaling ma-approve ang inyong application for registration. Hindi po automatic na kayo ay rehistradong botante na pag kayo ay pumunta sa aming registration site,” Garcia clarified.(Remember the stub we gave you? That’s your number, in case your registration is finally approved. Your visit to our registration site does not automatically mean that your application as a voter is already approved.)Processed applications still need to undergo an Election Registration Board hearing where a voter applicant’s status should be approved or not.The ERB will submit to the Comelec the list of approved applications as well as deactivated voters.“Malalaman din natin kapag kinonduct na namin yung tinatawag naming AFIS – Automated Fingerprint Identification System  -- ilan naman yung mga double o multiple registrants na dapat nang tanggalin,” Garcia said.(We will know once we conduct how many are double or multiple registrants once we conducted our Automated Fingerprint Identification System.)Voters whose application will be rejected are those who will be met by opposition by a fellow voter, lacks six months residency, not a Filipino citizen, or has yet to complete his or her one-year residency in the Philippines, the official said.

Political organizations and party-list groups that will be delisted for next year’s national and local polls will be made public by the Commission on Elections after the October 1 to 8 filing of certificates of candidacy (COC), the Commission on Elections said Friday.

Political organizations and party-list groups that will be delisted for next year’s national and local polls will be made public by the Commission on Elections after the October 1 to 8 filing of certificates of candidacy (COC), the Commission on Elections said Friday.