BY DABET CASTAÑEDA
Bulatlat
Posted June 14, 2007 – 6:56 a.m.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed the disqualification case against progressive party-list groups Bayan Muna (people first), Anakpwis (toiling masses), and Gabriela Women’s Party.
In its 14-page ruling signed by Commissioners Florentino Tuason, Nicodemo Ferrer and Rene Sarmiento dated June 1, the Comelec said the case was dismissed due to “lack of merit.”
The case against the said party-list groups was filed February 23 by widows Isabelita Bayudang and Medelyn Felipe from the province of Nueva Ecija who claimed that the three party-list groups ordered the killing of their husbands in two different occasions in 2001 and 2004. The widows also accused the three progressive party-list groups of being communist fronts.
Bayan Muna solons lodged separate perjury raps against Bayudang and Felipe at the Manila and Quezon prosecutors’ offices.
In its ruling, the Comelec’s second division said that “after a careful scrutiny of the records of this case, we find no sufficient and convincing evidence to support the petitions and the allegations contained herein.”
“Any petition for disqualification of any duly-accredited partylist organization must, to our mind, be supported by clear and convincing evidence that indeed the partylist organizations complained about actually advocate violence or that they violate election laws,” said the ruling, adding that “falling short in this requirement, we cannot
countenance any allegation of advocating violence and violation of election laws since it will not do justice to the sectors they very well represent as envisioned by the Constitution.”
Bayan Muna, which ranks second in the party-list row after the 2007 mid-term elections in May, considers the Comelec decision as another victory.
“This is another victory for truth and justice. We are again proven innocent of the false charges against us,” said House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur C. Ocampo, “This is the third time disqualification cases were filed against us and they have miserably failed thrice too. This is strike three against our tormentors and slanderers.”
The Comelec ruling was dated June 1, the same day the Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of rebellion charges against the Batasan 6.
Ocampo said the Comelec ruling should pave way for the quick proclamation of Bayan Muna’s three nominees, commensurate to its more than six percent share of total partylist votes.
“We doubt whether the Comelec decision may be reversed by a motion for reconsideration. We hope those who handle Bayudang and Felipe will quit this gambit and not frustrate the will of the voters who have elected Bayan Muna to its third straight term as partylist representatives of Congress,” said Ocampo.(Bulatlat.com)
