2nd disqualification case filed vs Arroyo son’s party-list bid

A militant party-list group on Tuesday sought the disqualification of presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo from the 2010 elections, saying the party-list group he is seeking to represent is bogus. As President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s son, the Pampanga lawmaker clearly does not belong to a marginalized sector, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares said in a press briefing. He added that Ang Galing Pinoy, which claims to represent tricycle drivers and security personnel, is "not a legitimate and qualified party-list group" and does not have the authority to nominate Arroyo in the 2010 party-list race. "As the son of the President, sa hiya ng ginawa ng party-list niya, siya mismo magwithdraw na ng nomination niya (He should be ashamed of what his party-list did. He should withdraw his nomination)," Colmenares said. The group had even copied portions of Bayan Muna’s constitution, he added.

"He does not represent, neither does he belong to the marginalized and underrepresented as required in the party-list system," Colmenares said in his 15-page petition before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Under Comelec Resolution 8807, party-list nominees must belong to a marginalized and underrepresented sector, sectoral party, organization, political party or coalition they seek to represent. But Colmenares noted that under the law, a nominee must have been a member of the group he seeks to represent for at least three months before the elections. This was unlikely in the case of Mikey Arroyo, he added. He also said the presidential son had already won in the 2007 congressional elections so he does not need to enter the House through the party-list system. "Ang party-list para ‘yun sa mga di nakakapasok sa Kongreso. Ang party-list system para ‘yan sa marginalized (The party-list system is for those who cannot win a congressional seat on their own. It is for the marginalized)," he added. Copycat? Ang Galing Pinoy had even copied Bayan Muna’s principles and constitution, Colmenares said. A comparison showed that both had the same preamble, principles and objectives, 10-point program, membership structure, rights and duties of members, organizational structure, special provisions and even the amendments. "It may be deliberate. If it’s a political statement, we don’t know, but it’s proof [that] Ang Galing Pinoy is a bogus party-list and Mikey is nothing but a second-rate trying-hard copycat," Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said. "Ganun ba ang gustong ipalabas ni Rep Mikey Arroyo, na ang ‘Galing ng Pinoy’ ay mangopya ng gawa ng iba (Is that what Rep. Mikey Arroyo wants to imply, that The Filipino is good at copying the work of others)?," he added. In 2001, Colmenares also sought the disqualification of major political parties and nonmarginalized groups from the party-list system before the Supreme Court. The case of Bayan Muna vs Comelec led to the disqualification of more than a hundred party-list groups, including the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Droga (MAD). He said this time, the Comelec should do something about the matter on it’s own. "The Comelec should take judicial notice of that fact. [It] has to act on its own without waiting for us to file [a case]," he added. Earlier, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza sought the disqualification of Arroyo, saying he could not possibly represent tricycle drivers and security guards. Qualifications Last week, the Comelec released Resolution 8807, which requires party-list groups to submit documentary evidence to prove that their nominees belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors. Party-list groups must submit their nominees’ track records, showing their nominees’ participation in projects advancing the interests of the sector. They must also prove that their nominees have advocated their cause through speeches and written articles, and certify that the nominees have been members 90 days before election day. Under the new guidelines, nominees must also be able to create laws that will benefit the nation as a whole. The twin requirements are additions to the party-list nominee qualifications already required by law. Among others, they must be:

• natural born Filipino citizens;
• registered voters;
• Filipino residents for at least a year;
• able read and write;
• bona fide members of the party they seek to represent for at least 90 days before the elections; and
• at least 25 years old on election day.

Moreover, if a nominee is from the youth sector, he must be at least 25 years old but not more than thirty 30 years on election day. — RSJ/LBG/RJAB Jr./NPA, GMANews.TV