KOKO HAILS COMELEC FOR PARTY-LIST CLEAN-UP

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, PDP Laban President, today commended the efforts undertaken by the Commission on Elections, under the leadership of Chairman Sixto Brillantes, for taking a stand and exercising political will to purge the accreditation and registration of party-list groups.

In the latest hearing of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation which he chairs, Pimentel said "the effort of the Comelec to cleanse the party-list of unqualified party-list groups is laudable and the committee intends to provide the Comelec with the necessary ammunition to pursue electoral reforms."

Pimentel said he would have wanted the Comelec Commissioners to appear before the committee so that it would be guided on the possible legislative tools which the poll body would need to effectively perform its mandated functions.

The senator from Mindanao facilitated the discussion on several bills making election duties voluntary for public school teachers, ensuring women's representation in the party-list system and fleshing out the constitutional ban on political dynasties.

Pimentel has been in the forefront of efforts to push reforms in the electoral process since he assumed his seat as senator only late last year after a lengthy and tedious election protest against Juan Miguel Zubiri that dragged on for more than four years, leaving Pimentel with less than two years to serve his term.