Name Names
Is the current party-list system addressing the objective of the party-list law - a law that sought to make Congress more representative? Apparently, some groups disagree. Representative Loretta Ann Rosales of Akbayan and two nongovernment organizations, Kilosbayan Foundation and Bantay Katarungan Foundation, filed a petition before the Supreme Court on 23 April 2007 to order the Commission on Elections to release the list of party-list nominees for the 14 May 2007 elections.
The group doubt whether some party-list groups truly represent marginalized or underrepresented sectors. They even suspect some groups were organized or supported by the administration. Akbayan wants the disclosure of nominees' names for 16 party-list organizations which it considers to have dubious backgrounds. Some groups also have acronyms which do not clearly indicate to voters the sector they represent.
Rep. Rosales, together with former Senater president Jovito Salonga, also asked the High Court to nullify Comelec minute resolution 07-0724, which bars the disclosure of party-list nominees until 3:00 pm of 14 May 2007, or after the closing of the polls. Akbayan was denied its previous request for copies of Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance of some party-list groups based on this resolution.
Of the five commissioners who, signed the resolution, Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Romeo Brawner actually also expressed that names of party-list nominees be disclosed based on the fundamental constitutional right of the people to information on matters of public concern. Chairman Benjamin Abalos, who was on official business trip, did not sign the resolution.
The party-list law (RA 7941) states that the party-list system intends to "enable Filipino citizens belonging to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties to be elected to the House of Representatives." It would be a contradiction of the spirit of the party-list law to have some groups win seats only to have them represent the interest of a few. This year Comelec gave the nod to 93 groups, compared to the 69 the commission accredited in 2004.
Note: As of press time, the Supreme Court released a ruling ordering the Comelec to release the list of party-list nominees in the May 2007 elections. In an en banc resolution penned by Justice Cancio Garcia, the Supreme Court ruled that Comelec Resolution No. 07-0724 violates the people's right to information. The high court said that voter's should be able to elect their representatives based on informed judgement.
CERTIFIED LIST OF SECTORAL PARTIES/ORGANIZATIONS/POLITICAL PARTIES/COALITIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM
FOR MAY 2007 ELECTIONS
NAME ACRONYM
1 1-UNITED TRANSPORT KOALISYON 1-UTAK
2 AA-KASOSYO PARTY AA-KASOSYO
3 AANGAT TAYO AT
4 ABAKADA GURO ABAKADA
5 ABANSE!PINAY ABANSE! PINAY
6 ABANTE ILLONGO, INC ABA ILLONGO
7 ABONO ABONO
8 ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE TRIBAL PEOPLE ADD-TRIBAL
9 ACTION FOR DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. ADD-TRIBAL
10 ADVOCACY FOR TEACHER EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ACTION, COOPERATION,
AND HARMONY TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL REFORMS, INC. A TEACHER
11 ADVOCATES FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN AND THE HANDICAPPED MOVEMENT* ASAHAN MO
12 AGBIAG!TIMPUYOG ILOCANO, INC AGBIAG
13 AGING FILIPINO ORGANIZATION, INC AGING PINOY
14 AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ALLIANCE OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC AGAP
15 AHON PINOY AHON
16 AHONBAYAN** AHONBAYAN
17 AKBAY PINOY OFW-NATIONAL, INC APOI
18 AKBAYAN!CITIZEN’S ACTION PARTY AKBAYAN
19 AKSYON SAMBAYANAN AKSA
20 ALAGAD ALAGAD
21 ALAY SA NAYAN NG MALAYANG PROPESYONAL AT REPORMANG KALAKAL ABAY PARAK
22 ALLIANCE FOR BARANGAY CONCERNS ABC
23 ALLIANCE FOR NATIONALISM AND DEMOCRACY ANAD
24 ALLIANCE OF ASSOCIATIONS OF ACCREDITED WORKERS IN THE WATER SECTOR, INC. AAWAS
25 ALLIANCE OF NEO-CONSERVATIVES ANC
26 ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATIONS APO!
27 ALLIANCE OF RURAL CONCERNS ARC
28 ALLIANCE OF VENDORS AND TRADERS OF THE PHILIPPINES VENDORS
29 ALLIANCE OF VOLUNTEER EDUCATORS AVE
30 ALLIANCE TRANSPORT SECTOR ARTS
31 ALYANSA NG MAMAMAYANG NAGHIHIRAP ALMANA
32 ALYANSA NG MAY KAPANSANANG PINOY AKAPIN
33 ALYANSA NG MGA GURONG HALIGI NG AGHAM AT TEKNOLOHIYA PARA SA MAMAMAYAN, INC AGHAM
34 ALYANSA NG SAMBAYANAN PARA SA PAGBABAGO ASAP
35 ALYANSANG BAYANIHAN NG MAGSASAKA, MANGGAGAWANG BUKID
AT MANGINGISDA-ADHIKAIN AT KILUSAN NG ORDINARYONG TAO ABA-AKO
36 AN WARAY AN WARAY
37 ANAK MINDANAO AMIN
38 ANAK PAWIS*** ANAKPAWIS
39 ANG BAGONG BAYAN NA NAGTATAGUYOD NG DEMOKRATIKONG IDEOLOGIYA AT LAYUNIN BANDILA
40 ANG GALING PINOY AG
41 ANG LABAN NG INDIGINONG FILIPINO ALIF
42 ANG SAMAHAN NG MGA MANGANGALAKAL PARA SA IKAUUNLAD NG LOKAL NA EKONOMIYA A SMILE
43 ANGAT ANTAS KABUHAYAN PILIPINO MOVEMENT AANGAT KA PILIPINO
44 ANGAT ATING KABUHAYAN PILIPINAS, INC ANAK
45 ARTS BUSINESS AND SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS ABS
46 ASOSASYON NG MGA MALILIIT NA NEGOSYANTENG GUMAGANAP AMANG
47 ASSALAM BANGSAMORO PEOPLE’S PARTY ASSALAM
48 ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATORS, PROFESSIONALS AND SENIORS AAPS
49 ASSOCIATION OF PHILIPPINE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES APEC
50 BABAE PARA SA KAUNLARAN BABAE KA
51 BAGO NATIONAL CULTURAL SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES BAGO
52 BAGONG ALYANSANG TAGAPAGTAGUYOD NG ADHIKANG SAMBAYANAN BATAS
53 BAGONG TAO MOVEMENT BTM
54 BAHANDI SA KAUMAHAN UG KADAGATAN BAHANDI
CERTIFIED LIST OF SECTORAL PARTIES/ORGANIZATIONS/POLITICAL PARTIES/COALITIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM
FOR MAY 2007 ELECTIONS
55 BARANGAY ASSOCIATION FOR NATIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF TRANSPARENCY BANAT
56 BAYAN MUNA*** BAYAN MUNA
57 BIGKIS PINOY MOVEMENT BIGKIS
58 BIYAHENG PINOY BP
59 BIYAYANG BUKID BIYAYANG BUKID
60 BUHAY HAYAAN YUMABONG BUHAY
61 CITIZENS BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION CIBAC
62 COALITION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE PHILIPPINES, INC SENIOR CITIZENS
63 COCOFED-PHILIPPINE COCONUT PRODUCERS FEDERATION, INC. COCOFRD
64 CONFEDERATION OF GRAINS RETAILERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES GRECON
65 COOPERATIVE-NATCO NETWORK PARTY COOP-NATCCO
66 DEMOCRATIC INDEPENDENT WORKERS ASSOCIATION, INC DIWA
67 FILIPINOS FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND PROGRESS MOVEMENT**** PFJPM
68 GABRIELA WOMEN’S PARTY*** GABRIELA
69 HANAY NG APING PILIPINO HAPI
70 KABATAAN KABATAAN
71 KABUKLURAN NG MGA KABABAIHANG FILIPINA SA TIMOG KATAGALUGAN BUKLOD FILIPINA
72 KALAHI- ADVOCATES FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINOS KALAHI
73 KAPATIRAN NG MGA NAKULONG NA WALANG SALA KAKUSA
74 KASANGGA SA KAUNLARAN, INC ANG KASANGGA
75 KOALISYON NG KATUTUBONG SAMAHAN NG PILIPINAS KASAPI
76 LUZON FARMERS PARTY BUTIL
77 NOVELTY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LIVELIHOOD FOR FOOD, INC NELFFI
78 PARENTS ENABLING PARENTS COALITION PARTY ***** PEP
79 PARTIDO NG MANGGAGAWA PM
80 PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT AGAINST POVERTY PMAP
81 PWERSA NG BAYANIHANG ATLETA PBA
82 SANDIGANG MARALITA SM
83 SANLAKAS SANLAKAS
84 SEAMAN’S PARTY INC. SPI
85 SUARA BANGSAMORO SUARA
86 SULONG! BARANGAY MOVEMENT SB
87 THE TRUE MARCOS LOYALIST (FOR GOD, COUNTRY AND PEOPLE)
ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC BANTAY
88 TRADE UNION CONGRESS PARTY TUCP
89 UNION OF THE MASSES FOR DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE ****** UMDJ
90 UNITED MOVEMENT AGAINST DRUGS UNI-MAD
91 VETERANS FREEDOM PARTY VFP
92 YOU AGAINST CORRUPTION AND POVERTY YACAP
93 YOUTH LEAGUE FOR PEACE ADVANCEMENT LYPAD
* Subject to pending case docketed as SPA 07-012
** Subject to pending case docketed as SPA 07-021
*** Subject to pending case docketed as SPP 07-015 & SPP 07-016
****Subject to pending case docketed as SPP 07-013
***** Subject to pending case docketed as spp 07-010
****** Subject to pending case docketed as SPP 06-065 (PL)
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