An Waray amenable for official placing in ballots

AN WARAY party-list Representative Florencio Noel said he is amenable with the raffle for the official placing of party-list organizations in the ballots to be used in the May 13 midterm elections.

“It’s okay. I think it won’t affect us. People would look for the name of the party-list they want to vote for,” Noel said in an interview.

“Yes, we will participate in the raffle scheduled by the Comelec (Commission on Elections),” Noel added.

About 135 party-list groups participating in the midterm elections have participated during Friday’s raffle, however, Comelec said only 84 were allowed by to run while 51 party-list groups secured a status quo ante order from the Supreme Court (SC).

“Sans the alphabetical order of party-lists, we are confident that voters are educated enough to choose their party-list,” Noel said.

Previously, the names of party-list groups were printed alphabetically but the poll body issued a resolution to change the practice.

The raffle was the poll body’s first in determining the order of the groups’ listing in the official ballots.

“The Comelec has probably realized that the old system has pushed groups eyeing a party-list seat in the House of Representatives to start their group name with the letter “A” or number “1” to have easy recognition from voters,” Noel said.

According to the new rule, a member of the Commission shall be drawing one ball at a time, with the drawing of the balls being in accordance with the sequence of listing in the ballot.

An Waray party-list was included in the 84 approved groups to join in the raffle. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)