Comelec deprives millions of OFWs with genuine representation

Migrante Sectoral Party today slammed the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) dismissal of the party’s verified opposition to the poll body’s decision to disqualify Migrante from participating in the next year’s party-list race.

“It’s official. The ruling regime – through the COMELEC – has fastened the last nail in the coffin of Overseas Filipinos and their families’ dream of finally having genuine representation in government,”
declared Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante Sectoral Party Chairperson.

“With the COMELEC’s decision to dismiss Migrante’s verified opposition to poll body’s illegal ruling to disqualify our party from running in 2010, the COMELEC has in essence repressed the voice of the millions of ‘modern day heroes’,” she said.

“But we are not at all deterred,” said Regalado. “We are determined to challenge this latest affront to our OFWs’ collective desire to finally have a say in government at the Supreme Court.”

“We can only hope that our magistrates in the High Court would rule in favour of reason and not affirm the COMELEC’s preposterous and nonsensical ruling,” said Regalado.

On November 17, 2009, the COMELEC en banc, thru SPP Case Number 09-003 (MP), ruled to affirm the dismissal of Migrante’s verified opposition for failing to garner 2% of partylist votes in 2004 and for not
participating in 2007 partylist race.

In an interview with reporters recently, COMELEC Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said that it doesn’t matter whether or not a partylist group had earlier informed the Commission of its intent not to participate in the partylist race because non-participation, the poll Commissioner said, is considered by the poll body as losing in an election.

But Regalado scoffed at the COMELEC’s rationale. “If we are to follow the COMELEC’s logic that non-participation means losing in an election, then the more than 80 million Filipinos who didn’t file their certificates of candidacy for President in 2004 should be considered as losers in the country’s highest elective position. It’s downright preposterous!” she said.

Regalado explained that Migrante Partylist ran in 2004 but failed to garner at least two percent of votes needed to win one partylist seat. In 2007, she said Migrante decided not to run and informed the poll
body of their decision, in writing. Regalado said they had planned to consolidate and strengthen their ranks for the 2010 elections.

“How can we trust the COMELEC to lead the country in realizing a clean and honest automated election in 2010 if its leadership continues to churn out nonsensical decisions such as this?” Regalado asked.