Comelec approves NP-NPC coalition for May 10 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recognized the coalition of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) as a legitimate candidate to become the dominant minority party in the May 2010 elections despite objections from the Liberal Party (LP). In a chance interview with reporters, Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle said they have already signed the resolution recognizing the NP-NPC coalition and that it would soon be promulgated. LP, the NP-NPC Coalition, and the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino are all vying for the poll body’s nod to become the dominant minority party that will be entitled to the sixth copy of the election returns (ERs) and a server showing the election results as they are transmitted. LP has opposed the NP-NPC application, saying it was formed only last January 28, or six months after the deadline for registration of political parties lapsed. It also said the coalition was only formed to meet the Comelec’s requirement that the dominant minority party should field the most number of candidates in the national and local elections. NP, in defense, said its application is valid because the coalition was entered into by two registered political parties. Tagle said that LP failed to prove that the coalition between NP and NPC was just for show. “They were saying that the coalition is a sham but during our examination and careful evaluation they could not prove these allegations," he said. No copy of the resolution is available as of posting time. The commissioner clarified, however, that they have yet to decide on which party to proclaim as the dominant minority party. “Depending on their candidates from the local positions, if they could prove that they have the numbers, then most likely they could be declared as the dominant minority… but let me stressed that there’s no resolution yet on this," he said. Comelec records show that LP will be fielding 5,934 candidates in the May polls while NP will be fielding 5,565 and NPC 2,373. Tagle said they have already instructed their field personnel to confirm the numbers of the NP-NPC coalition. Republic Act 9369 or the amended Poll Automation Law requires the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to print 30 copies of the ERs, which indicate the election results at the precinct level. - GMANews.TV