Party-list Groups, New Political Parties Have Until May 8 to Register — Comelec

New political parties and party-list organizations have until May 8, 2015 to submit their application for registration, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.

In Comelec Minute Resolution 15-0214, the poll body also said that the first week of May is likewise the deadline for the filing of the party-list groups’ Manifestation of Intent to Participate in the party-list system.

The poll body also set the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for national and local candidates for the May 9, 2016 elections from Oct. 12 to 16, 2015.

On the other hand, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez urged party-list groups that are planning to participate in next year’s polls not to allow themselves to be used by individuals who are just looking to have a seat in Congress.

He said that the organizations should make sure that the nominees they will choose are capable of representing them at the House of Representatives.

“They should not allow themselves to be used as backdoors. They should not allow themselves to be used by any politicians… They should be able to police their own ranks,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec official issued the statement as the poll body will no longer conduct an “automatic review” of the party-list organizations after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on the Atong Paglaum Party-list case in 2013.

The “automatic review” was adopted by the poll body ahead of the 2013 midterm elections in order to ensure that only the marginalized and underrepresented groups can join the party-list race.

But, the High Court’s ruling on 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. (PNA) SCS/FGP/EDS