Member of Nurses United picketed outside Comelec HQ on Nov. 22, 2021 to appeal their rejection as party-list group. Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected with finality the applications for registration of 107 party-list groups, including one that seeks to represent nurses, effectively disqualifying them from joining Halalan 2022.
In a resolution promulgated Dec. 1 but was only made public Saturday, the Comelec en banc rejected the motions for reconsideration of over 100 party-list groups earlier denied accreditation by divisions over various deficiencies.
Among those disqualified with finality to join the 2022 party-list race is Nurses United, a group representing nurses and other health workers frontlining the pandemic.
In a short statement, Nurses United condemned Comelec's move, calling it "heartless."
"Walang puso ang Comelec para sa mga nars at health workers," said Maristela Abenojar, first nominee of Nurses United.
The group will hold an indignation protest on Monday.
The resolution only provided a list of rejected party-list groups, without citing grounds for their disqualification.
Aside from Nurses United, other notable party-lists rejected by Comelec were National Organization for Responsive Advocacies for the Arts (NORAA) of actress Nora Aunor, Abante Sambayanan, and LGBTQ Plus.
As a last resort, rejected party-lists may secure status quo ante order from the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Comelec is still deliberating the appeal for accreditation of Mocha Uson's Mothers For Change and Celine Pialago's Malasakit Movement.
So far, there are 165 party-lists granted accreditation by Comelec to join Halalan 2022.
The poll body will finalize the list of approved party-list groups by Dec. 15.
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