Comelec raffles off order in official ballot among 202 party-list groups

The Commission on Elections on Monday held a raffle to determine the order of party-list groups in the ballot for the the May 2016 elections.

Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, however, advised party-list groups not to print campaign materials bearing the number they got from the raffle.

He said the list remains tentative until the Comelec resolves the pending motions for reconsideration of the 84 disapproved party-list groups that were still included in the raffle.

A total of 202 party-list groups were in the lottery.

"Again, reminder, baka after ng raffle magpaprint na kayo ng posters ng number ninyo, wag muna po. Hintayin ninyo, hintayin natin, tapusin before Christmas lahat (ng pending cases)," Lim told the representatives who attended the raffle.

Lim said the raffle was done "so more or less you can already make a forecast of what number you are headed to."

One of the representatives of the party-list groups earlier asked the en banc to hold a separate raffle for groups with pending motions.

"'Yung sa 84 (groups), wala pang final decision kaya sa aming palagay, it would be unfair to treat them as if they are second-class," Bautista said.

"Pero sabi ko nga, if makakuha sila ng mataas na number pero kapag sila ay na-disqualify, mag-mu-move up ang listahan," he added.

Another concern raised by representatives is that the final list should be released soon.

For this, Bautista asked for the party-list groups' understanding, as the poll body is handling preparations for the 2016 elections, along with several cases regarding individual candidates, including Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

"Sinisikap po naming bilisan as much as possible 'yung pagtatalaga ng magiging numero ninyo. We will do so at the soonest possible time," he said.

For his part, Lim said they will resolve the motions before December 25.

He added that they will publish the lists of both accredited party-lists groups and those disqualified at the Comelec website, and a newspaper of national circulation. —NB, GMA News