PNA - Malacanang said on Thursday the Commission on Elections (Comelec), being an independent constitutional body, has the discretion to decide which party-list groups to accredit.
"The Comelec is an independent agency. We will have to rely on their expertise and their discretion to decide which party-list groups should be included or excluded from the election and we are in no way able to or allowed to influence the decision of the Comelec," said Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. has said the poll body has the authority to review the party-list's compliance with the continuing of its qualification.
He said the poll body wants to cleanse the party-list system, that's why party-list groups have to file manifestations to participate in the forthcoming elections in 2013.
The Comelec has already disqualified 52 of 72 new applicants for party-list accreditation, of which the Ako Bicol is one of 115 incumbent party-list groups.
Brillantes said the previous commission which accredited Ako Bicol might have been lax in implementing the law.
He said the party-list law has been abused, pointing out that the party-list congressmen are multi-millionaires.
While there is no limit to the net worth of party-list congressmen nominees, Brillantes said party-list groups should belong to the marginalized sector.
Lacierda said they would rely on the poll body "to apply evenly the rules on the party-list groups."
The question is: Are these party-list groups "an effective means of voicing out or are the present party-list representatives effectively able to voice out the (concerns of the) marginalized sectors? So, again, we leave it with the Comelec to apply the rules as they see fit," he said.
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