Palace aide on ‘fake’ party list issue (10:14 a.m.)

MANILA – A Malacañang official told critics to go straight to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on queries about alleged bogus party lists bound to serve the interest of the administration.

Deputy Presidential Gary Olivar said that he is not aware of any party-list being fielded by Arroyo government saying that such accusation is “fraudulent”.

“I don’t have awareness about that. We are expecting that the Comelec would act on this immediately if the charges are true,” Olivar said.

He urged skeptics to rush to the Comelec since it oversights the electoral process including the accreditation of party-list.

“We will leave it to their discretion and the authority of Comelec,” the palace official said.

“They should not go to Malacañang about this. Leave Malacañang out of this,” he said.

Multi-sectoral poll watchdog Kontra Daya has asked the Comelec to delist six party-list groups that are supposedly supported by the administration.

The groups include: Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano (AGBIAG), Babae para sa Kaunalara (BABAE KA), League of Youth for Peace and Development (LYPAD), Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA), Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak ng Maharlika (ADAM), and Kalahi Advocates for Overseas Filipinos (KALAHI).

Kontra Daya also sought investigation into the nomination of President Arroyo’s son Pampanga Representative Juan “Mikey” Miguel Arroyo and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as party list representatives in the May elections.

Mikey was said to be nominated as Ang Galing Party while Reyes was rumored to be nominated as representative for 1-Utak transport group.

The group said the two party lists have “fake” accreditation. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)