Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today urged the Comelec to seriously review and reconsider its rejection of the petition for registration of party-list groups Migrante, ACT and Courage.

Palatino said that the Comelec may have displayed a lapse in judgment in its quick dismissal of the party-list groups’ legitimacy, nationwide scope and machinery.

“These groups have long existed even before the party-list system was implemented. We have worked and collaborated with them on various campaigns and issues nationwide.  We, our members and chapters in the regions, together with other existing progressive party-list groups, can vouch for their national constituency,” Palatino said.

“In relation to the existence of pseudo-partylists, this recent ruling by the Comelec, if not corrected immediately, may provide yet another dangerous precedent in the bastardization the party-list system.”

Palatino cited the likes of Bantay, Ang Kasangga and other such party-list groups that were allowed to run in the party-list race despite ‘questionable representation’. “These pseudo-partylists are the real threats to young Filipinos. They are using the party-list system for their vested interests.”

The youth solon said that they would support Migrante, ACT and Courage’s appeals. “We will not stand for the disenfranchisement of the truly marginalized sectors in society.”

Since the introduction of the party-list system in 1998, there has not been any Congressional representative from sectors of migrant workers, government employees and teachers. ”

Unfortunately, at present, we have party-list groups which claim to represent teachers but in Congress represent only the interests of capitalist-educators and school owners.” ###