INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Comelec 'unfair' over Trillanes’ party poll bid—exec

INQUIRER.net

Anna Valmero

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections has been accused of being “unfair” by an official from the political party of jailed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after its petition for registration and accreditation in the 2010 polls was junked by the state-run body.

The decision of the Comelec en banc second division was “prejudicial to the decision of the Supreme Court on their 2003 case” and a “violation of their presumption of innocence,” Ashley Acedillo, secretary general and spokesman of the Magdalo para sa Pagbabago, told INQUIRER.net.

This week, the Comelec second division, headed by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, did not approve the political party's petition for registration and accreditation, citing its members’ involvement in the
“2003 mutiny at the Oakwood Premier Apartments in Makati City” where civilians were held hostage.

In a six-page resolution promulgated on October 26, Comelec second division said: “The principal founders of the Magdalo para sa Pagbabago Party remain unrepentant and harbor the propensity to engage in another illegal adventure similar to the failed 2003 Oakwood mutiny, should they again fail to achieve their goal – this time with the use of the political party they are now applying for accreditation.”

The second division also stated in the resolution that the political party may only be a means “to recruit and indoctrinate disciplined followers who may become their blind followers” – which Acedillo denied.

Over 90 percent of their 40,000 members nationwide are civilians and professionals who believe in the group's platforms, with only 300 retired Army personnel, said Acedillo, who was a first lieutenant with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“The decision of Comelec puts Comelec in question: first, the fundamental fairness of the second division, which accredited parties connected to NPA and second, their myopic and short-sighted reasoning that we will use the party to recruit blind followers,” said Acedillio.

“They lack facts to support their prejudicial decision against us. The issue of employing violence and having [held] hostage innocent civilian in 2003 was not mentioned nor raised during our trial at the Makati regional trial court. We believe the ponente [author] of the resolution has a personal bias and just cited conjectures as basis for junking our petition,” said Acedillo.

“We are appealing to be accredited as a political party because we are open to follow parliamentary procedures to work for reform in the country,” said the party official.

We have an eight-point platform that we advocate for namely, selfless service to God and to nation, importance of family, leadership by example, a government of laws, genuine economic development program, environment protection, political maturity and social change,” said Acedillo.

Acedillo said they would appeal for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc.

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