Comelec in a bind on dominant party issue due to court TRO

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may not be able to declare a dominant majority and minority party due to temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court in connection with the application of the NP-NPC coalition to be declared the dominant minority party. In an interview Wednesday, Comelec chairman Jose Melo noted that the Supreme Court, has only one week to decide on the issue before it goes on a recess. The court will not be back until shortly before June 12. "I would say it might be a bit difficult for the SC, at this point, to decide in the questioning of the coalition so baka wala tayo maging (we might not have a) dominant majority and minority (party)," Melo said. Melo and Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento dissented in an en banc resolution recognizing the coalition of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) for the May 10 automated elections. The coalition’s application has been opposed by the Liberal Party (LP). On Tuesday, the high court issued a TRO stopping the poll body from recognizing the coalition of NP and NPC. Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer explained that the poll body could not issue a resolution just on the dominant majority party status alone. Number of members “Hindi pwede dahil naka-base yan sa computation natin ng members (of all parties concerned) nila so we have to deal with it jointly and not separately (That can't be done because we base our computation on the members of all parties so we have to deal with it jointly and separately)," he said. Administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD was the only party to apply for the dominant majority party position, while LP, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), and the NP-NPC coalition all vied for the dominant minority status. The poll body said the awarding of the majority and minority status will be based on the number of incumbent and running members for each party. Lakas-Kampi claims to have a total of 10,418 incumbent members while Comelec records show that LP will be fielding 5,934 candidates in the May polls, NP 5,565 and NPC 2,373. "That is not something we pluck out of thin air, it is a fair computation," said Melo. Those declared as dominant majority and minority parties will have access to one election return each and a server where election results automatically come in on election day. But if no party is declared as the dominant majority and minority, Melo said the groups might just be forced to rely on a secure Web site provided by poll machine supplier Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) for the results. Melo, Villar optimistic Melo, however, said he remains hopeful that the Supreme Court would be able to decide the case by next week. The high tribunal has set the release of their decision on April 26. Melo said they had already signed on Tuesday a resolution declaring Lakas-Kampi-CMD and the NP-NPC coalition as the dominant majority and dominant minority parties, respectively. The promulgation, however, was stalled because of the TRO. NP standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar Jr., meanwhile, said he is optimistic that the Supreme Court will uphold the legality of the NP-NPC coalition. He, however, admitted that he has yet to read the court order. "Siguro kaya sila nag-isyu nun pag-aaralan muna nila. Hindi naman nangangahulugan na mali ang ating pinayl so naniniwala pa rin ako na in the end tama pa rin yung aming pinayl," Villar told reporters in an ambush interview in Tagbilaran City in Bohol where he was campaigning on Wednesday. (I think the court issued the TRO because it wants to study the case more. That doesn’t mean that our application was wrong so I believe in the end the court will rule in our favor.) Opposition from Cojuangco He also said that the coalition has the blessings of NPC members contrary to the claim of Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, son of NPC founder and businessman Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco, who said the NPC decision to support Villar has no consent, endorsement or approval from him and his father. On Tuesday, the NPC, through its spokesperson Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, formally expressed its support for Villar. Villar said it is up to the NPC members to resolve their internal squabbles. "Basta kami ay nakipag-ayos sa officials ng NPC at kung merong problema internally ang NPC yan ay nasa sa kanila para resolbahin but yung authorized officers nila at authorized na officers ng Nacionalista Party ay nag-usap at nagkasundo na magkaroon ng coalition," Villar said. (As far as we’re concerned the NPC is among our supporters. If there is a problem among some of their members then it is up to them to resolve their squabbles. But we have talked with the authorized NPC officials and we agreed to form a coalition.) - KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV