More partylist applicants seen

The Supreme Court’s (SC) decision on the Atong Paglaum case will be used by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as criteria when it comes to the accreditation of partylist organizations for the May, 2016 polls. Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said they are using the Atong Paglaum ruling as their criteria because that’s the latest ruling by the SC. Under the 2013 SC ruling, the Party-List System Act does not require parties, organizations, and sectors to be marginalized and underrepresented before they are allowed to join the elections and that even advocates of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors could become nominees, and, therefore, earn a seat in Congress. With the ruling, the Comelec said applicants only need to meet the requirements set by Republic Act 7941 such as having constitution; by-laws; platform or program of government while not advocating violence; is not a foreign party; nor a religious sect or denomination. Many believe such a ruling would result in a deluge of party-list organizations participating in next year’s polls since the poll body won’t be conducting an “automatic review” anymore of party-list organizations unlike in 2013. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)