By
Published: November 20, 2012

“Not surprising but still revolting.”

This was labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno’s statement today as it slammed the Commission on Elections for allowing Akbayan to run in the 2013 elections despite proof that the partylist group is already overrepresented in the Aquino government and not representing the marginalized.

“This is a clear proof that the Comelec is an instrument of the Aquino government, not an independent body. Its impartiality and the credibility of the 2013 elections have just been tarnished big-time,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“The Comelec has further exposed itself as an instrument of the Aquino government in the latter’s drive to dominate Congress,” he added.

“The Comelec has disqualified genuine representatives of the marginalized who are critical of Aquino. It has allowed Akbayan to run in violation of the spirit of the country’s partylist system,” he said.

KMU cited the disqualification of partylist groups Courage and Kalikasan, saying the Comelec’s initial basis for disqualifying the first was that the sector it was representing is overrepresented in government and not marginalized.

Responding to Courage Partylist’s motion for reconsideration, the Comelec changed its basis, arguing that partylist groups should be independent from the government.

Now, the Comelec allowed Akbayan to run on the basis that being part of the government is not a basis for disqualification.

“It’s clear that the Comelec bent over backwards in order to allow Akbayan to run. It does not seem to mind that it is destroying its reputation by making conflicting justifications for its decisions,” Labog said.

KMU vowed to continue exposing Akbayan as a Malacañang-backed partylist group supportive of the government’s anti-poor and anti-people policies.

“We are calling on the electorate to junk Akbayan in the 2013 elections, which misrepresents the marginalized as favoring the Aquino government’s pro-capitalist and anti-poor policies,” Labog said.

“We are calling on the public to tell Akbayan officials and candidates ‘Ang kapal ninyo’ when they campaign for the elections. Let us show them just how displeased we are over their insistence on running in the partylist elections,” he added.