Debates to delay release of party-list bets

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) may fail to meet its self-imposed deadline for coming out with the list of party-list organizations that will be allowed to participate in next year’s midterm polls.

This was the projection of Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes after admitting that the en banc members are still deliberating on which they will allow and disallow to run next year.

“We have to work on the majority. We still have yet to have a unified stand on the numerous issues we are facing,” said Brillantes. “Thus, we are having a difficult time and we may not be able to meet our imposed deadline of end of September.”

Among the issues they are still deliberating are the accreditations of groups that have multi-millionaire nominees, presence of multi-sectoral groups that don’t have any clear sector to represent and on whether it should be the group or nominee that can be considered as marginalized.

As an alternative, the poll chief said they might just come out with a separate list for disqualified and accredited party-list groups instead of their initial plan of having just one.

“We are still looking at September 30 but we might just come out with the disqualified groups first. For those accredited, it might just be on October. October 10 probably,” said Brillantes.

Earlier, Brillantes said they wanted to complete the deliberation on the party-list bets before the October 1 to 5 filing period of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for individual candidates for all positions.

Already registered with the Comelec but are still undergoing review are 124 groups while another 165 have pending petitions for accreditation.

All these 289 party list groups have filed Manifestations of Intent to Participate for the next elections with the the poll body. (HDT/Sunnex)