Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. yesterday said that only 100 party-list groups will be allowed to run in the May 2013 national and local elections.
Brillantes said “(on Wednesday) we will be finishing with a good number of further cancellations and on Thursday we will release the final listing — it will not exceed 100.”
The poll body accredited 184 party-list groups for the 2010 elections.
The Comelec chief also announced that the en banc in a unanimous vote denied the application for accreditation of seven more party-list groups, they are:Fitness Pinoy, Pinoy Aasenso Ka, Ahente party-list Inc. (Ahente), Ang Sandigan ng mga Batang Lansangan (Asabala), Bantay OCW, Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Daang Matuwid  (Sandama) and 1Abante Na Pinoy. He said that the latest disqualified batch failed to prove that they represent marginalized sectors.
Brillantes also announced the change of date for the raffle of accredited party-list groups from the originally announced Dec. 14  to Dec. 17. The raffling of the names of party-list groups will determine their order in the listing to appear in the official ballots for the May 2013 elections.
The Comelec chaiman also brushed aside calls from civil societies and election watchdog Automated Systems Watch for senators to seriously look into reports that Smartmatic’s legal tussle with Dominion Voting Systems might imperil the conduct of the 2013 elections.
He said that “there is nothing to worry since all the enhancements we need are already in place.”