Disqualified solons to Comelec: Who will represent rural electric consumers now?

Who will represent “marginalized” rural electric consumers now?

 

Congressmen of two newly disqualified party-list groups on Monday posed this question to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after they were disallowed by the poll body from participating in next year’s midterm elections.

 

1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-CARE) party-list Rep. Michael Angelo Rivera said his group’s advocacy in providing electricity to rural areas may be compromised now that his party-list has been disqualified.

 

“Ang aming nirerepresent, ito yung nasa rural areas, rural consumers. Ito yung mga nasa bundok na hindi naiilawan. Ito ba yung tinatawag nila na hindi marginalized sector? Yung mga nasa bundok na mga tao na hindi naabot ng kuryente?” Rivera told reporters.

 

The sectoral representative added that his group is bringing the disqualification case to the Supreme Court (SC).

 

Earlier in the day, Comelec chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. announced that 1-CARE and the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) can no longer participate in the 2013 polls, since electronic consumers do not constitute a marginalized sector. APEC party-list Rep. Ponciano Payuyo, however, insisted that some consumers are “deprived of access to electricity,” especially in far-flung areas.  

 

“Nakakasama ng loob lang. Mayroon kang sector talaga na sa tingin natin masyadong agrabyado. ‘Yung mga mayayamang gumagamit ng kuryente ipinapasa sa mga maliliit ung kuryente nila. Paano na yung andoon sa baryo?” Payuyo said in a separate interview.

 

He also criticized the Comelec for its supposed indecisiveness regarding the qualifications of party-list groups.  

 

“Sana naman maging decisive sila. Kapag disqualified talaga, e di disqualified. Hindi naman puwedeng bawat palit ng chairperson, magbabago ang desisyon,” he said.

 

Payuyo likewise said that his group will definitely elevate the disqualification case to the SC. — RSJ, GMA News