A week after they last trooped to the Supreme Court (SC), supporters and members of Manggagawa Partylist knocked on the high court’s gates once more to ask that they be allowed to run.
The group filed asked the SC to issue a preliminary injunction in order to compel COMELEC to retain Manggagawa Partylist’s name in the list of eligible organizations and include it in the ballots that are being printed, following the decision of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to disqualify their group and dismiss their appeal. The SC, however, has yet to issue their decision.
In a decision last December, the COMELEC en banc, dismissed the appeal of Manggagawa Partylist for accreditation as a party-list, saying the latter failed to state that they were not funded by the government or by foreign governments and organizations.
The group criticized how COMELEC allowed other groups led and funded by individuals and political interests that are clearly connected to the administration or what they called ‘Du-dirty party-lists,’ but has barred groups that represent the poor and the marginalized as proven by their track record, and their chosen representatives.
In its petition to the SC, Manggagawa Partylist reiterated that it is a legitimate organization which does not receive any support from any organization, whether directly or indirectly, for partisan political activities.
The groups’ leaders also explained that they seek to represent workers from all industries in Congress, including public transportation drivers, informal workers, migrants, and their families, should they win in the May polls.
They also emphasized that they representing marginalize sector and did not receive any funds from local and international governments.
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