Comelec asked to proclaim Akbayan Partylist winner of 2022 polls

Akbayan Party on Tuesday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare its partylist as a winner in the 2022 polls following the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision upholding the cancellation of An Waray Partylist’s registration.

During the 2022 elections, Akbayan Partylist ranked 57, just one place shy of 56 winning groups.

With the High Court’s ruling, a partylist seat is now vacated.

”The next logical and legal step is for the Comelec to proclaim Akbayan as the rightful holder of the last available seat," Akbayan President Rafaela David said.

The Supreme Court upheld Comelec’s previous 2019 decision to cancel An Waray's Partylist registration after their second nominee in 2013 took their oath of office despite An Waray being entitled to only one seat.

“Every day Akbayan remains unseated undermines our electoral democracy and denies marginalized sectors the representation they urgently need,” David added.

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to reporters, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said Akbayan Partylist’s proclamation “will come any moment from now.”

“We have yet to receive a copy of the SC Decision. We will surely act fast,” Garcia said.

In the 2019 midterm elections, Akbayan lost for the first time since entering the first partylist race in 1998.

Although the party performed better in the 2022 polls, it fell short by around 2,000 votes to secure the last seat.