The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has officially accredited 16 regional political parties for the landmark Bangsamoro parliamentary elections this September.
The announcement follows the poll body’s decision to dismiss petitions challenging the registration of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party.
COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia emphasized that the diverse field of accredited parties offers voters a wider array of representatives to choose from during the September 14 elections.
“Ibig sabihin mas maraming choices, mas pabor sa mga kababayan natin,” Garcia told reporters in an interview.
In addition to the political parties, the commission approved 23 out of 26 sectoral organizations that applied for participation.
Garcia noted that the poll body adopted a more flexible stance regarding certain documentary requirements to ensure broad representation in this pioneering exercise.
“Dahil hindi naman sila ganoon karami, minarapat ng Comelec na i-accredit kahit na minsan, may kaunting problem doon sa dokumento, naging liberal na lang ang approach ni Comelec,” the poll chief explained.
“Ito ang kauna-unahang parliamentary election sa Bangsamoro at gusto natin na lahat ay mapagbigyan kung kaya at magagawa natin basta hindi mako-compromise ang due process.”
As part of its commitment to transparency, the commission is set to publish the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for all parliamentary district aspirants on its official website next Friday. This follows the May 7 deadline for the filing of COCs and coalition nominee lists.
“Matapos makita lahat ng COCs, malaman ang lahat ng deklarasyon ay aming aaprubahan ang listahan. Pag naaprubahan namin ang listahan, yan ang mapi-print na mga pangalan sa balota natin,” Garcia said.
The poll chief also revealed that COMELEC is exploring the inclusion of candidates’ photographs on the ballots to better inform voters.
He expressed hope that this practice could eventually be adopted in national elections to promote “equal opportunity for public service.”
The first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections were officially rescheduled to September after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the postponement measure into law last month.