By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday proclaimed 59 party-list representatives seven days after the May 12 midterm elections, in the fastest turnaround time since automated polls were fully implemented in the Philippines in 2010.
Sixty-three seats were initially allotted for party-list members, spread across 53 winning groups, according to the official count posted on the Comelec website. But the proclamation of three seats for Duterte Youth and a seat for Bagong Henerasyon Party-list was suspended due to their pending disqualification lawsuits.
The frontrunner in the party-list race was Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party, which got 2.78 million votes or 6.66% of the 41.66 million total votes cast for party-lists.
They will have three seats at the House of Representatives led by their first nominee, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” I. Diokno.
The group’s second nominee is incumbent congressman Percival V. Cendaña, followed by Moro leader Dadah Kiram Ismula.
The group was saved in the 19th Congress after the Supreme Court affirmed the cancellation of the An Waray party-list’s registration and proclaimed Akbayan as the winner of the last of the 63 party-list seats in the 2022 elections.
The party was almost delisted after failing to win seats in 2019.
Duterte Youth got 2.37 million votes or 5.59% of the total, allowing it to have three seats in the chamber. The group will be represented by its three nominees — incumbent Drixie Mae S. Cardema, Berlin B. Lingwa and Ron Godfrey W. Bawalan.
Majority of the 63 incoming party-list representatives in the 20th Congress do not represent the poor and underrepresented sectors, election watchdog Kontra Daya said in a statement.
Based on Kontra Daya’s data set of party-list groups released in February 2025, 38 incoming party-list representatives (60%) were flagged as belonging to political dynasties, big business or have military or police ties.
“Aside from these, the party-list groups to which they belong have party-list nominees with pending corruption cases, have dubious advocacies or have limited or no information,” it said.
“Let us exert public pressure on the 20th Congress to push for the passage of the anti-dynasty law and the amendment to the party-list law to make the latter truly representative of the marginalized and the underrepresented,” said Danilo Arao, convenor of Kontra Daya, said in the statement. “The rich and powerful’s hijacking of the party-list system should stop.”
The Comelec en banc suspended the proclamation of Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon due to pending cases, Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said during proclamation rites at the Manila Hotel Tent City.
“Considering the serious allegations raised in the above petitions which involve grave violation of election laws, the National Board of Canvassers resolved to suspend the proclamation of Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon, until the speedy and judicious resolution of the petitions filed before the Clerk of the Commission,” he said.
In a Facebook post, Duterte Youth said it would appeal the suspension before the Supreme Court.
“This is definitely a grave abuse of discretion, to hold back the choice of millions of Filipinos,” it said. It also denied allegations that its registration is void.
In their original 2019 petition, the plaintiffs argued that Duterte Youth’s registration is void for failing to comply with publication and public hearing requirements.
Ducielle S. Cardema was sworn in as the party-list’s representative in 2020 and was later succeeded by the current representative after the group secured another win in 2022.
In March, the petitioners renewed their call for the Comelec to resolve the petition.
Tingog Party-list will also have three spots in the chamber after coming in at No. 3 with 1.82 million votes or 4.36% of the total.
The party-list of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will be composed of his son, Andrew Julian K. Romualdez, incumbent Jude A. Acidre and Happy K. Calatrava.
Meanwhile, with two seats, Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4Ps) had 1.47 million votes or 3.51%. The group will be represented by incumbent Marcelino C. Libanan and Jonathan Clement M. Abalos II.
It was followed by Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist with 1.24 million votes or 2.97%. Edvic G. Yap and Jocelyn P. Tulfo, wife of Senator Rafael T. Tulfo, will represent the group.
Ako Bicol got 1.07 million votes or 2.57% and will be represented by incumbent Elizaldy S. Co and Alfredo A. Garbin.
The party-list system in the Philippines was established to ensure sectoral representation in the House, providing marginalized and underrepresented groups a voice in the legislative process. — with Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio