THE Liberal Party (LP) and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) were declared anew as the dominant parties in the May 9 national and local polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday.
"After using our formula, we were able to come out with the finding that the dominant majority party is the LP while the dominant minority party is UNA," said Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista in a media forum.
With this, the administration and opposition parties are entitled to receive the fifth and sixth copies of election returns (ERs), respectively, to be produced by the vote counting machines; receive electronically transmitted precinct results.
They are also going to get the seventh and eighth copies of the Certificates of Canvass (COCs), respectively; and assign official watchers in every polling places and canvassing centers.
According to Comelec Resolution 9984, the criteria to be used by the commission is based on the established record of the said parties, coalition or groups, that now compose them, taking into account, among other things, their showing in past elections; the number of incumbent elective officials belonging to them on the last day of the filing of Certificate of Candidacy; their identifiable political organizations and strengths as evidenced by their organized chapters; the ability to field a complete slate of candidates from the municipal level to the position of the President; and other analogous circumstances that may determine their relative organizations and strengths.
But, no details were available particularly on which parties were designated as major national and local parties.
In the May 2013 elections, the LP was also declared as the dominant majority party while the UNA was ruled as the dominant minority party.
Four political parties were named as major national parties they are: the Nacionalista Party (NP), Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), and National Unity Party (NUP).
On the other hand, the Comelec has accredited six major local parties, which are Kusog Baryuhanon for the Province of Davao del Norte; Kapanalig at Kambilan Ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) for the Province of Pampanga; United Negros Alliance (UNA) for the Province of Negros Occidental; Hugpong Sa Tawong Lungsod (Hugpong) for Davao City; Partido Abe Kapampangan (PAK) for Angeles City; and Arangkada San Joseno Political Party (Arangkada) for San Jose Del Monte City. (FP/Sunnex)