Delisted party-list members file appeal

LOCAL leaders and members of a national party-list who were delisted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last month filed their motion for reconsideration (MR) before the Comelec regional office.

The Alliance for Rural Concern (ARC) is one of the 35 party-lists that were delisted from joining the 2013 congressional elections.

Alejandre Hermocilla Jr., spokesperson for Ugnayan ng mga Nagkakaisang Organisasyon sa Kanayunan (Onoska), said they are confident of the Comelec's favorable decision regarding their MR.

Onoska is one of the many peoples' organization (Pos) that ARC is representing across the country, Hermocilla Jr. said.

In Davao Region, there are at least 100,000 individuals being served by ARC comprising of farmers, fisher folks and ordinary citizens from the rural areas, according to Hermocilla.

Sixto Brillantes Jr., Comelec chairman, said the main reason why they dropped some party-list groups is that they really don't represent a specific marginalized sector as listed by the Republic Act 7941, or the Party-list System Act, as well as with those considered as marginalized sectors based on existing jurisprudence.

Based on the party-list law, a party-list must represent labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers and professionals, to be able to represent the Congress. (Jereco O. Paloma)