Comelec accredits 41 new party-lists for Eleksyon 2025

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited at least 41 new party-list organizations for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE), its chairperson said Monday.

Poll chief George Erwin Garcia said there are fewer newly accredited party-lists this time than in the 2022 polls.

“Ang party-lists na ma-accredit na bago ay 41. Mas mababa sa nakaraang 2022 elections na kulang-kulang 70 ang na-accredit na party-lists,” Garcia told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the inspection of the data sites for the midterm elections in Makati.

(The number of accredited party lists this time is 41, which is lower compared to the around 70 that were accredited in the 2022 elections.)

“Hindi naman dahil gusto namin mag-reduce…subalit gusto natin ang party-lists ay nare-represent sa marginalized at underrepresented,” he said. 

(The newly accredited party lists totaled 41, which is lower compared to the around 70 that were accredited in the 2022 elections.)

Garcia previously said around 164 new and existing party-list groups may be accredited to run for the next year’s polls. The Comelec is targeting to issue the final list of the accredited organizations before the end of the week, he added. 

Meanwhile, the poll body rejected the application of around 142 party lists as of September 23, 2024. 

“Kalimitan kulang sa constitution and by-laws, kulang sa listahan ng mga miyembro na nagsasabi na pumapayag sila na mag-file ng petition, minsan mali ang authority na nakapirma o kaya minsan yung advocacy, nadi-diskubre namin peke ang dokumento na pine-present samin. May mga ganun,” said Garcia. 

(We reject their applications if they lack a constitution and by-laws, lack a list of members who agree to file a petition, sometimes the authority who signed is incorrect, or sometimes the advocacy is discovered to be fake.)

“Akala makakaligtas doon sa aming matinding scrutiny ng bawat party-list,” he added. 

(They think they can pass our strict scrutiny of each party-list," he added.)

Health workers’ party-list

Also on Monday, the Comelec en banc granted the motion for reconsideration filed by Health Workers party-list against its initial rejection for the next year’s elections. 

“The Comelec en banc today promulgated a resolution accrediting the Health Workers party-list and therefore, reversing the initial resolution denying their petition for accreditation,” said Garcia. 

He said the application was approved after the party-list completed submitting the required documents.

“Sa isang banda, sila ang frontliners natin. Maganda mapagbigyan din at mabigyan ng boses sa Kongreso at mag-participate sa halalan,” he added. 

(On the other hand, they are our frontliners. It's good to give them a chance and allow them to have a voice in Congress and participate in the elections.) — BM, GMA Integrated News