QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially accredited 41 new party-list organizations for the upcoming 2025 national and local elections, chairperson George Erwin Garcia announced on Monday.
In an interview during his inspection of data sites for the midterm elections in Makati City, Garcia noted that this year’s total is significantly lower than the nearly 70 new groups that received accreditation for the 2022 elections.
“The number of accredited party-lists this time is 41, which is fewer than the roughly 70 that were accredited for the 2022 elections,” he said.
Garcia clarified that the reduction in accredited groups was not intentional but rather a product of Comelec’s rigorous evaluation process aimed at ensuring that party-list organizations genuinely represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors of society.
As of now, approximately 164 new and existing party-list groups are vying for accreditation in the upcoming elections. Garcia indicated that Comelec intends to release the final list of accredited organizations by the end of the week.
However, the commission has denied the applications of around 142 party-list groups. The rejections were primarily due to incomplete documentation, such as missing constitutions, by-laws, or membership lists. Additionally, some applicants presented questionable advocacy credentials.
“Some groups try to evade our stringent scrutiny, but we thoroughly examine every application,” Garcia emphasized, underscoring Comelec’s commitment to transparency and integrity in the electoral process.
The accreditation of these party-list groups is a crucial step in the electoral preparation as the Philippines gears up for the 2025 elections. (AVS/PIA-NCR)
