The Commission on Elections said it plans to delist party-list organizations that failed to secure a seat in the House of Representatives in two recent elections in the country.
“As for existing party-lists that joined the recent polls, the Comelec will issue a resolution where those who joined and lost twice can be removed according to the Party-list Act,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said.
“The Comelec will issue this soon,” he added.
Laudiangco said Comelec is very stringent in accrediting groups for the party-list polls.
“We are checking if they really represent the sector they would want to represent and if they comply with the requirements of the Party-list Act and the decision of the Supreme Court,” he added.
Under Republic Act 7941 or the Party-list System Act, only parties, organizations, or coalitions registered with the Comelec may participate in the party-list elections.
The law said the registration of a party-list may be cancelled if it fails to participate in the last two preceding elections or if it fails to obtain at least two percent of the votes cast under the party-list system in the two preceding elections.
Earlier, Comelec chairman George Garcia announced the plan to trim the number of party-list groups that would be allowed to join the 2025 midterm polls to around 130.
A total of 177 party-list organizations participated in the May 2022 elections.
Garcia said the poll body wants a shorter list to ensure that only the most qualified groups can run.
“(That way) it will really be representative of the truly marginalized and underrepresented,” Garcia said.
Only organized groups duly registered with the Comelec and have filed a Manifestation of Intent to Participate may join the party-list elections next year.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Comelec to cut party-list orgs that lost in two consecutive polls