Election watchdog seeks ouster of Mikey Arroyo’s party-list group

MANILA — Election watch group Kontra Daya has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to remove or cancel registration of Ang Galing (AG) Pinoy Party-list of Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo for violation of election laws.
In a 30-page petition, complainants Fr. Joe Dizon, Dr. Ramon Paterno, Col. Guillermo Cunanan (Ret.), Renato Reyes, Jr., Gloria Arellano, Fr. Wilfredo Dulay, and Manolo Mercedes, all members of poll watch organization said that the party-list group violated and failed to comply with laws, rules and regulation relating to elections.
“AG is not a genuine party-list for the marginalized and underrepresented and is in fact a strange party list group whose disparate nominees lack any cohesive advocacy and track record for the sectors they claim to represent,” they said.
“ Rather, we allege it to be a classic case of a party-list for sale, and was a ready made party-list group for those who want to run for Congress but does not have a party list group, in this case the Arroyo family,” the petitioners said.
Ang Galing Pinoy, is a party-list group registered as a Sectoral Organization with National Constituency, supposedly representing marginalized sectors notably the security guards and unorganized groups of taxi, FX taxi, jeepney and bus drivers.
Kontra daya cited Comelec Resolution No. 9366, which provides for the grounds for the removal and/or cancellation of registration of a party-list group.
Rule 2, Sec. 3. Removal and/or cancellation of registration; Grounds. The Commission may motu propio or upon a verified complaint of any interested party, remove or cancel, after due notice and hearing, the registration of any party-list group organization or coalition on any of the grounds mentioned in Section 2 of this Rule. 
Any party whose registration has been removed or cancelled shall not be allowed to participate in the party-list system or from being proclaimed if the evidence is strong.
Likewise, they cited the 1987 Constitution, RA 7941, the Supreme Court decision, and the Comelec Resolution require that the party-list group must represent the marginalized and underrepresented sector.
“Acknowledging the fact that it is so easy to claim and to feign representation, our laws and regulations pertaining to the party-list system further require the submission of certain documents to prove that the claim is genuine. Additionally, in order to ensure that the rights and welfare of said sectors would be the main agenda of the party-list group, it was required by the laws and regulations that the majority of the membership of the party-list group belong to the sector it claims to represent…Failure to measure to these standards makes the registration of the party-list group the subject of removal and/or cancellation,” the group said.
The petitioners added that AG violated and failed to comply with the laws of the land pertaining to the party-list system.
“Specifically, its violations consist of the following: Failing to represent a marginalized and underrepresented sector, as evidenced by its membership, nominees and (lack of) track record; Failing to comply with Comelec Resolution No. 9366 by not submitting any documentary evidence showing track record, etc. of the party-list group and its nominees; and Failing to nominate as nominees for the 2013 elections Filipino citizens who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties.”
The group’s nominees in the 2010 were: 1. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo; 2. Dennis Pineda; 3. Romeo Dungca, Jr.; 4. Jerold Dominick David and Ryan Caladiao while their nominees for the 2013 polls are: 1. Charlie Chua; 2. Eder Dizon; 3. Jerold Dominick David; 4. Ryan Caladioa; 5. Alan Trinidad and Bernardo Corella, Jr.
“Not only do AG’s nominees for 2010 and 2013 are concentrated in the province of Pampanga and bailiwicks of the Arroyo, but also none of them belong to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors that AG claims to represent, specifically, security guards, unorganized groups of taxi, FX taxi, jeepney and bus drivers, vendors, small scale businessmen and jobless individuals,” they added.
The petitioners noted that the AG only authored a total of 1 House Resolution, entitled “A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE BEREAVED FAMILIES OF THE NINETEEN (19) SOLDIERS WHO WERE KILLED IN AN AMBUSH BY MILF REBELS IN AL-BARKA, BASILAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2011.”
“In the House of Representatives website, Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, under the AG party-list, was said to have co-authored a total of 90 measures filed by his mother or brother many of which are for the separation of high schools in Bicol. Without commenting on the seemingly lack of interest of AG Representative to author its own bills and resolutions which specifically benefits the sectors it claims to represent, the bills of his mother and brother are not in any way related to security guards or drivers,” they added.
Kontra daya also said that AG has put the election process in mockery and disrepute.
“In further violation (or ignorance) of its own Constitution, AG has failed to properly elect its national officers, even indicating positions which are not provided for in said constitution. Under its plagiarized constitution, the National Convention must be convened every 3 years in order to elect the executive officers of the party and other members of the National Executive Committee.” they said.
They furthered, “The act of AG in inviting and nominating Mikey Arroyo as their representative has cause public outrage and clamor. Numerous cases have been filed against Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and AG because of this. And the people have been proven correct – Arroyo’s performance as representative of AG in Congress did not result to the benefit of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors AG claims to represent. Rather, he merely acted for the interest of his family in Congress.”