MANILA – A transparency organization on Monday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate the alleged violation of a party-list group under the Party-List System Act.
The Pinoy Aksyon for Governance (Pinoy Aksyon) asked the poll body to probe Ang Mata’y Alagaan (Ang Mata) party-list group for purportedly violating its own advocacies indicated in its petition for registration.
“Our organization is humbly imploring the kind discretion of this Honorable Commission to exercise its motu proprio (on its own) powers to investigate the anomalous activities of the Ang Mata party-list group and its representative Cong. Tricia Catera,” Pinoy Aksyon head Ben Ellorin said in a letter sent to Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas.
“Numerous reports have recently circulated showing Ang Mata’s alleged unlawful activities relative to the distribution and use of unregistered medicines and the mobilization of unlicensed doctors in its medical missions,” he said. “If found guilty by the Commission, we would like to seek the disqualification of Ang Mata party-list represented by Cong. Catera.”
He said it is a violation of Section 6 of the Party-List System Act, which states that among the grounds for cancellation of registration is for a group to advocate unlawful means to seek its goal and to declare untruthful statements in its petition.
Pinoy Aksyon added that it is willing to take part in any investigation that the Comelec will conduct regarding the alleged anomalous activities of the party-list group.
In the 2016 polls, Ang Mata got a total of 331,285 votes, which entitled it to one seat in the House of Representatives. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
