One group hands out press releases with cash

Five more accredited organizations on Saturday registered their intent to participate in the 2010 party-list elections, bringing to 19 the number of contenders, as of the second day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs).

A group of young Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs, which the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to accredit, also filed its manifestation for intent to run. It was the third organization since Friday to do so, on the condition that they will withdraw their filings once the poll body rejects their petition for accreditation.

No presidential, vice-presidential, and senatorial hopefuls filed their COCs Saturday. The poll body on Friday received the COCs of 14 individuals for president, 0 for vice president, and 3 for senator.

The 5 additional party-list election contenders are the Democratic Independent Workers’ Association Inc. (Diwa), the United Caddies and Green Keepers Association of the Philippines (Ucap), the Alliance of Bicolnon Party (ABP Bicolnon), Bigkis Pinoy Movement (Bigkis), and Alliance to Alleviate the Socio-Economic and Social Order Inc. (Aasenso Ka).

Diwa and Bigkis both ran in the 2007 elections and lost. If they don’t get enough votes for congressional seat again, they will be permanently disqualified in succeeding elections after 2010. Republic Act 7941, the party-list law, provides that groups that fail to garner the minimum number of votes required, or fail to participate in the polls for 2 consecutive elections will have their accreditation revoked.

Bigkis is a group identified with allies of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, and worked for President Arroyo’s campaign in 2004.

Rally of supporters

The entrepreneurs’ group that has yet to be accredited by the Comelec—and Ang Tagapagtaguyod ng Sikap sa Ikauunlad ng mga Pinoy (Ang Tsinoy)—filed its manifestation, accompanied by banner-waving and chanting supporters who looked like urban poor residents and came in house clothes, with children in tow.

Ang Tsinoy handed mediamen copies of their press release profiling their nominees, accompanied by a small brown envelop containing P2,000 cash. Reporters quickly returned the cash to the group's media officer, while others donated the money to a nun in the Comelec offices at that time. Receiving monetary gifts in exchange for writing stories is against the Journalist's Code of Ethics formulated by the Philippine Press Institute and the National Press Club.

That no COCs were filed by aspirants for national posts on the first weekend of the filing period didn’t come as a surprise to Commissioner Gregorio Larazzabal. He said that candidate know that this weekend is not a good timing because “they know there’s less media attention.”

He also said candidates understandably would prefer filing their COCs toward the deadline so they can “maximize the time they can run their ads.” According to a Comelec rule, a candidate who will run advertisements or go around to promote himself between his filing of COC and the start of the official campaign period may be charged with premature campaigning and disqualified from the 2010 polls.

Larazzabal said that the Comelec is expecting a deluge of applicants toward December 1, the last day for filing of COCs. He gave assurances that Comelec offices will be prepared for that.

He said that “bringing supporters would be a problem,” however, as this would increase the number of people needed to be handled and controlled by Comelec personnel. He requests candidates to limit the supporters they will bring to Comelec when they file their COCs. (Newsbreak)

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