Roster of party-list groups out next week

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to release by next week the names of party-list organizations that would be allowed to participate in the May 2025 polls. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said Friday that all pending cases need to be resolved first before the poll body can release the list. "Once we are able to resolve everything by Monday, we can release the list by Friday next week at the most," he said in a radio interview. Garcia noted that the petitions for accreditation are being resolved based on merits. Based on the calendar of activities for the May 2025 polls, the period for the filing of List of Nominees and Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination will be on October 1 to 8. All applications undergo a stringent screening process, Garcia said, in response to allegations that those giving bribes or using "connections" are the only ones getting the approval. "Under our leadership, we use a strict method of screening and decision-making. We have made it a point to do the screening stringently," Garcia added. A total of 177 party-list organizations sought seats during the May 2022 elections.