A PETITION seeking to remove the LPG Marketers Association Inc. (LPGMA) as a party-list group has been junked by the Supreme Court (SC).
LPGMA secured a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 2013 polls amid opposition of business group Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), which argued before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that the party-list system or the Constitution does not offer a slot for the sector of businessmen, traders, marketers and retailers of cooking gas.
FPI also scored LPGMA's top nominee Arnel Ty for not being marginalized.
The Comelec retained LPGMA's accreditation on December 12, 2012, pushing the FPI to elevate the issue to the SC.
In a decision, the Court said FPI failed to "sufficiently show" that any grave abuse of discretion was committed by the Comelec in issuing the resolution "which, on the contrary, appears to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence.”
LPGMA entered the House in its first try in 2010 on the back of a campaign to protect the right of the ordinary consumer to have access to reasonably priced LPG and buy any brand that is available in the market. (Sunnex)