Comelec to assess track records of party-list groups seeking to regain accreditation

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will evaluate the past electoral performance and legislative participation of 50 delisted party-list groups seeking to regain accreditation for the 2028 elections, Chairman George Erwin Garcia said.

Garcia on Saturday said the groups may immediately file new petitions for accreditation, but they will be treated as new applicants and must meet all the requirements to be allowed to participate in the next national elections.

“Parang back to zero muli ang kanilang petisyon and therefore ang lahat ng requirements na hinahanap namin sa isang partylist organizations o political party, ay dapat ma-accomplish nila upang ma-convince kami na sadyang dapat silang gawaran muli ng accreditation upang makapag-participate sa 2028,” Garcia said in a DZMM interview.

He said the poll body would consider whether the groups had previously secured enough votes to elect representatives to the House of Representatives, as well as their overall participation in elections and legislative work.

“Doon ko mas titignan sa ano ang dahilan upang sila mag-grant,” Garcia said.

He said the Comelec would consider whether the organizations had previously secured seats in Congress and maintained support from voters.

Garcia said the commission had earlier approved a resolution allowing the affected groups to seek reaccreditation without having to sit out another election.

“Ang ginawa natin sa resolusyon ay amin silang papayagan na mag-refile ng petisyon sa Comelec upang magpa-reaccredit muli,” he said.

Under the previous interpretation of the rules, delisted groups would have to skip one election before filing a new accreditation petition.

Garcia said the new policy allows them to reapply immediately, giving the Comelec time to hear their petitions before the deadline.

The Comelec has set a December 30 deadline for the groups to file their petitions, Garcia said. The process is separate from the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2028 elections.

Among the 50 delisted organizations are Bayan Muna, which is affiliated with the Makabayan bloc in the House, and Magdalo, which is associated with former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Garcia said 40 groups were delisted for failing to obtain enough votes to elect a representative in two consecutive elections, while the other 10 were removed for not participating in two consecutive polls.

“Ang kadahilanan kung di tayo nagkakamali, nakasama sila doon sa 40 ng 50 kung saan hindi nakakuha ng [sufficient] na boto upang makapaghalal sila ng membro ng mababang kapulungan,” Garcia said, referring to groups that failed to secure enough votes.

He cited the party-list law and Supreme Court rulings as the basis for the Comelec’s action.

Under the rules cited by Garcia, a party-list organization may lose its accreditation if it fails to participate in two consecutive elections, or fails to obtain at least 2% of the votes cast for the party-list system or elect a representative in two consecutive elections.

“‘Yan po ang maliwanag at ‘yan po ang laging natin ginagawa every time na magkakaroon ng halalan tayo, national at local, at siyempre ‘yan ay bilang paglilinis naman ng ating listahan,” he said.

Garcia acknowledged concerns that delisting could deprive marginalized sectors and their supporters of representation. However, he said the Comelec was bound to implement the law.

“Siyempre ang unawaan natin ang concern na maaari lalo na ang mga taga-suporta ng mga naturang partylist kaya talagang tali ang kamay ni Comelec sapagkat siyang provision ng batas,” he said.

The new resolution, he added, gives the affected organizations an opportunity to seek accreditation again before the next elections.

Garcia said the Comelec would look into the groups’ previous electoral performance and their activities as organizations, including whether they had managed to elect representatives and participate actively in the legislative process.

He said the commission would assess whether the groups had demonstrated genuine electoral support and continued to represent the sectors they claimed to serve.

“May kumukonti ang taga-suporta pero noong una napakalakas,” Garcia said, noting that some organizations had previously elected multiple nominees to the House.

He added that the poll body would consider the groups’ participation in congressional hearings and debates, as well as whether they had authored legislation.

“May mga batas ba sila na sila mismo ang nag-akta? Napakalaking bagay po ‘yan,” he said.

Garcia clarified that he was not prejudging the outcome of any petition, adding that the commission would have to assess the circumstances of each applicant.

The delisting does not automatically prevent the groups from seeking accreditation again. However, their previous status would not give them an advantage in the new application process.