MALAYBALAY CITY-The Commission on Election (COMELEC)-First Division resolves the petition declaring the Bukidnon Paglaum Party (BPP) as non-registered/accredited political party. This is based on the four-page Resolution E.M. No. 13-006 promulgated January 21, 2014 which dismissed the said petition for lack of merit.

 

It can be recalled that said petition was filed by Aksyon Demokratikong Pilipino (Bukidnon) with Mr. Roy P. Calimpong as party authorized representative.

In this petition, petitioner Aksyon Demokratikong Pilipino seeks the disqualification of BPP Members who ran for local posts in the May 13, 2013 Elections by questioning the October 25, 2012 Order of the First Division which granted BPP’s prayer to be registered as a Provincial Political Party. In support thereof, petitioner alleges the following: First, the assailed order was issued on October 25, 2012, or twenty (20) days after the last day for filing the Certificate of Candidacy; thus, it cannot be given retroactive effect so as to give juridical personality to BPP as a Provincial Political Party. Second, the order was issued by the Commission sitting in division only, which is without power to issue a Certificate of Accreditation and/or registration as a political party to respondent; and third, respondent must comply first with their requirement of publication before it can be accredited as a political party.

After a careful perusal of the petition, it was resolved by the Commission to declare such to be without merit. It was revealed that what the petitioner is actually praying is the cancellation of BPP’s registration and accreditation as a political party, and ultimately, the cancellation of the certificates of candidacy of its members who ran for local positions in Bukidnon and for their disqualification. These three, however, was treated as one petition-that is, to cancel the certificate of accreditation of Bukidnon Paglaum Party.

One of the reasons enumerated by the Commission as basis of their decision was the failure of the petitioner to allege any of the grounds provided in Section 8. Rule 32 of the Comelec Rules of Procedure.

Comelec also cited that accreditation/registration of a political party is cognizable and within the jurisdiction of the Commission sitting in division, and not with the Commission en banc. This is abundantly clear under the Comelec Rules of Procedure and needs no further elaboration.

With the facts and reasons aforementioned, the said petition was dismissed for lack of merit. The said resolution was signed by the Presiding Commissioner Lucenito N. Tagle, together with Commissioners Christian Robert S. Lim and Al A. Parreño.