Mikey Arroyo, Bro. Mike nominees of party-list groups

What do Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey" Arroyo and El Shaddai leader Mariano “Mike" Velarde have in common? No, it’s not just the similarity of their nicknames. The presidential son and the religious leader are among the hundreds of nominees in the Philippines’ 2010 party-list elections. The certificate of nomination of Ang Galing Pinoy Party-list, which claims to represent the youth, listed Arroyo as their first nominee. All other nominees of the party-list also come from Pampanga, a known Arroyo bailiwick where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is also seeking a congressional seat. After Arroyo, the document listed Dennis Pineda as its second nominee. Pineda is the son of former provincial board member Lilia Pineda, a known ally of the Arroyo administration who has a pending electoral protest against incumbent Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio for the 2007 gubernatorial race. For its third nominee, it listed Bacolor Mayor Romeo "Buddy" Dungca, one of the 17 mayors who broke away from the Lapids who ruled Pampanga in the past and moved to the President's then Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) in 2006. Meanwhile, the El Shaddai-backed Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay) Party-list listed its leader Velarde as its fifth nominee. It likewise nominated the charismatic leader's son Mariano Michael as its first representative. In 2007, Buhay gained the top spot in the part-list race after it received 1,169,165 or 7.4 percent of the total votes, giving them three seats in Congress. Velarde's son was also a nominee of the party-list back then. Other party-list nominees seeking re-election are Buhay Party-list Rep. Irwin Tieng; Anakpawis Reps. Rafael Mariano and Joel Maglunsod; Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, ANAD Party-list Rep. Pastor Alcover, Jr; Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Rep. Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales; Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action, Cooperation and Harmony toawards Educational Reforms (A TEACHER) Rep. Mariano Piamonte; ALAGAD Reps. Rodante Marcoleta and Diogenes Osabel; Butil Farmers Party Reps. Leonila Chavez and Agapito Guanlao; Veteran's Freedom Party (VFP) Rep. Estrella Santos; Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens Rep. Godofredo Arquiza. Other prominent nominees include actor Juan Miguel "Onemig" Bondoc of the Bandila Party-list; broadcast journalist Angelo Palmones of Agham Party-list; former Ilocos Sur Congressman Salacnib Baterina of the Alliance of People's Organizations (APO); peasants leader Jaime Tadeo of Ang Partid Demokratiko Rural (Ang PDR); Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) secretary-general George San Mateo of Anakpawis; and Abono Party-list's Jacky Lomibao, wife of former national police chief Arturo Lomibao. Earlier, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo admitted that the poll body is unable to thoroughly screen the nominees, only party-list groups. The poll body chief also said that unless the suspicion on a nominee is “very glaring," they cannot do anything about it on their own. However, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal clarified that if a person wishes to have a nominee disqualified, he or she can file a petition. A total of 187 party-lists were accredited by the poll body to participate in the May automated polls. As mandated by the Party-List System Act or Republic Act 7941, the groups have 45 days before the elections (from January 19 to March 26) to submit a list of at least five nominees for party-list representatives to the Comelec Law Department. Only a total of 45 party-list groups have so far filed their certificates of nominations with the Comelec. Included in these groups are:

• CIBAC
• A TEACHER
• APO
• ALAGAD
• Ang PDR
• VFP
• AKSI
• BUHAY
• CONSLA
• Pilipino Association for Country Urban for Youth Advancement and Welfare, Abante Ilonggo, Inc.
• Kabukluran ng mga Kababaihan sa Timog Katagaluhan, Inc.
• Butil Farmer's Party
• Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC)
• Biyayang Bukid Inc.
• Sulong! Barangay Movement
• Bago Party-list
• Ang Agrikultura Natin Isulong (AANI)
• Bandila Party-list
• Agham Party-list
• Alliance for Philippines Security Guards Coop (AFPSEGCO)
• Anakpawis
• Philippine Coconut Producers Federation, Inc. (COCOFED)
• Gabriela
• Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens,
• Abono Prarty-AKMA-PTM
• Fil-Mus Party-list
• 1 Ganap/Guardians
• Kalinga Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation-building Through Easing Poverty
• Ang Mata's Alagaan Party-list
• ANAD Party-list
• Itinerant Vendors Alliance of the Philippines, Inc.
• Alagaan Natin Ating Kalusugan (ANAKALUSUGAN)
• Koalisyon ng Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas (KASAPI)
• ATONG PAGLAUM, ABAKADA GURO Party-list
• Katribu Indigenous People's Sectoral Party
• Abante Tribung Makabansa (ATM)
• Kabataan Party-list ABA Party-lsit
• Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz (AMS)
• Ang Galing Pinoy Party-list
• Alliance of Mindanao Elders (AME).