Comelec names PDP-Laban as dominant majority party for Eleksyon 2022

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified the PDP-Laban as the dominant majority party and the Nacionalista Party as the dominant minority party for the May 9 polls.

Based on Resolution 10787 issued on Wednesday, the watchers of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties shall be given preference if the space in the canvassing or consolidation center is insufficient. 

The resolution did not say which faction of the PDP-Laban would earn the recognition. 

"Pending resolution of the petition...filed by [the] Cusi wing of the PDP-Laban, the PDP-Laban shall be treated as one single political party for purposes of determining the dominant majority party, dominant minority party, and the 10 major national parties," the resolution stated.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia assured that the poll body would "immediately resolve" the petition. 

“Ang ginawa lang ng commission ay dinedetermine na lang kung sino talaga mga major and minor party and who ever will be decided by the commission to do the one in control of the party at least masosolve na yung problem, hindi na mako-complicate, hindi na magkakaroon ng problema sa adjustment yung mga ranking ng mga 10 major political parties,” he said.

(What the commission did was to determine who the major and minor parties really are and who will ever be decided by the commission to be the one in control of the party. It will at least solve the problem; no more complications, no more problems with the adjustment in the rankings of the 10 major political parties.)

“Basta in the meantime ngayon the election returns will be given to the PDP Laban, ayun na lang yung kulang sa tanong kung sino na lang sa dalawa ang kukuha ng  isa sa mga kopya ng election returns,” he furthered.

(In the meantime, the election returns will be given to the PDP Laban, that's all, but the question remains which of the two factions will get one of the copies of the election returns.)

Meanwhile, declared as 10 major national parties were the Liberal Party, Aksyon Demokratiko, Nationalist People's Coalition, Lakas-CMD, Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, National Unity Party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Akbayan, and the United Nationalist Alliance.

The Comelec said the 10 major political parties will be given access to the transparency server, which receives precinct-level results transmitted by the vote counting machines.

The accreditation of dominant majority and minority parties, as well as the 10 major national parties and major local parties, followed a set of criteria, which included their showing in past elections, the number of incumbent elective officials, and their ability to field a slate of candidates from the municipal level to president. —VBL, GMA News