Saturday, March 10, 2007 'Bayan Muna hasn't violated election laws, so far' By Carlo P. Mallo Cub Reporter
COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chair Benjamin Abalos said party-list Bayan Muna has not committed any election violation after campaign paraphernalia of the group were recovered by the military from communist camps after an encounter in the outskirts of Davao City.
"No, they (Bayan Muna) have not committed any violation," Abalos said during the command conference of Comelec Friday.
But Alioden Dalaig, director of the legal department of Comelec, asserts that should a link be established between the party-list group and the insurgency movement, it can be a ground for the cancellation of registration of Bayan Muna as a party-list group.
Dalaig said it is illegal for any party-list group to be connected or affiliated with a movement that espouses violence, such as the New People's Army (NPA).
One of the grounds for removal or cancellation of registration of a party-list is if "it advocates violence or unlawful means to seek its goal," Section 6 of Republic Act 7941 or the Party-List System Act states.
Aside from advocating violence or unlawful means, the other grounds for cancellation that a party-list group can commit are if it is verified to be: (1) a religious sect or denomination, organization or association organized for religious purposes; (2) a foreign party or organization; (3) receiving support from any foreign government, foreign political party, foundation, organization, whether directly or through any of its officers or members or indirectly through third parties for partisan election purposes; (4) violates or fails to comply with laws, rules or regulations relating to elections; (5) declares untruthful statements in its petition; (6) has ceased to exist for at least one year; or (7) fails to participate in the last two preceding elections or fails to obtain at least two percentage points of the votes cast under the party-list system in the two (2) preceding elections for the constituency in which it has registered.
Last week, campaign paraphernalia of Bayan Muna from were recovered from communist rebels fleeing from military troops in Barangay Tagurano, Toril District in Davao City.
