Comelec seeks proof to exclude Arroyo son, Reyes from partylist

The Commission on Elections urged those who want Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo out of the party-list race to immediately file a complaint against them with the poll body and present evidence that the two do not really represent "marginalized sectors" in Congress.


Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said they would need evidence in order to disqualify nominees submitted by the party-list groups themselves.

He said that with 187 accredited party-list groups — each submitting at least five nominees — the poll body could not scrutinize all of the names, all at once.

In order for the Comelec to reject a nominee motu propio, or on its own volition, it would need evidence or information, Sarmiento said.

“There are many nominees. And [for us to act] motu propio, honestly, we need information [and] assistance, what with the many concerns of Comelec. It will [have to] be a collaborative effort, with the stakeholders helping Comelec,” Sarmiento said.

The party-list system was created to ensure that marginalized sectors are represented in Congress.

Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño earlier said Reyes and Arroyo were both not qualified to run in the party-list system, having come from the moneyed political class.

Reyes was the Armed Forces chief of staff before he became a member of the Arroyo Cabinet. Mikey Arroyo is the son of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Comelec has never rejected a party-list nominee — even in the past, according to Sarmiento.

He said he recognized the need for more guidelines to ensure that the partylist voting system would be for marginalized sectors.

The 187 party-list groups have until March 26 to submit a list of their five nominees to the Comelec. Petitions against the nominees may be filed after this date.