MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified 24 party-list groups from participating in the May 2019 elections.
“The Commission resolves to delist and cancel the registration of the said party-list groups, organizations, and coalitions,” said Comelec Resolution No 10273 released on Tuesday.
The poll body explained that the delisted groups are those that did not participate in the last two exercises, and/or failed to obtain seat/s in the last two elections.
Of this number, 18 organizations were removed due to the groups’ failure to get at least 2 percent of the votes cast for the party-list elections and failure to obtain a seat in the second round of seat allocation for the party-list system in the last two preceding elections.
These groups include Disabled/PWD, Sanlakas, Abante Retirees, 1-Abilidad, PISTON, ALE, Ang Prolife, Ating Guro, Umalab Ka, AMA, AMOR Seaman, 1-AALALAY, MTM Phils, Ang Kasangga, AGHAM, Migrante, Awat Mindanao and 1-Pabahay.
Meanwhile, party-list groups ARCAPP, BIDA, CHINOY, Sabod and WPI have been delisted due to their failure to participate in the last two preceding elections.
Likewise, the COCOFED group was removed from the list for failure to obtain a seat in the 2010 and 2013 elections and also for not participating in the 2016 polls.
Under the Party-List System Act, the Comelec may cancel a party-list organization’s registration if it fails to participate in the last two preceding elections or fails to obtain at least two percent of the votes cast under the party-list system in the two preceding elections.
On the other hand, the poll body said the concerned party-list groups are given a chance to appeal the ruling. (PNA)