Recognizes Ang Kasangga nominee’s disqualification

“We recognize the decision of the Commission on Elections on disqualifying the complained nominees of Ang Kasangga Partylist. Their action towards the tarnishing of the partylist system is a point for the people and serves as an important lesson that the COMELEC should learn from,” says Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino.

COMELEC released a decision last July 7 that the nominees of Ang Kasangga Partylist namely Teodorico Haresco and Eugenio Jose Lacson are disqualified as its nominees after proving that they don’t belong to the marginalized sector. Kontra Daya’s basis for their complaint against the nominees is that one of them is a big businessman while the other is a three-term city mayor.

“The COMELEC should learn from their shortcomings on screening the partylists and their nominees. They, of all government wing, should understand the essence of the partylist system being the avenue of the marginalized sector to be represented in the Congress,” explains Palatino.

“They have been bombarded with numerous complaints on being ‘careless’ of screening partylists who wish to run for the recent elections and disregarded it. It was only after elections that they considered to face the complaints and took action when they could have just taken an intensive review during the course of the application of the partylists,” he adds.

Given the decision, the youth solon also urges the COMELEC to act immediately on the complaint against Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo who is the first nominee of Ang Galing Pinoy, the partylist representing the security guards and other complaints who taint the partylist system.

“This experience must be COMELEC’s stepping stone in order to implement clean and honest elections in 2013 where partylists will again have the opportunity to run. They should be more vigilant the next time they accredit and permit partylists to run. Parallel to that, Kabataan Partylist will push for reforms in the partylist system so that individuals may not use it for their personal interest,” says the youth solon. ###