Akbayan seeks House seat that An Waray vacated

MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Party urged the Commission on Elections on Tuesday, September 17, to declare it a winner in the 2022 elections following the final revocation of An Waray's party-list registration.

Akbayan, a progressive political group, unsuccessfully sought a seat in the House of Representatives in 2022 and was just one place shy of getting into the 56-group winning circle. 

In a statement, Akbayan said there are "no longer any legal barriers" to its entry into the House after the Supreme Court decided on upholding the cancellation of An Waray's registration, which opened up a vacant slot at the lower chamber.  

RELATED:  How An Waray lost its party-list registration

"The next logical and legal step is for the Comelec to proclaim Akbayan as the rightful holder of the last available seat," Akbayan President Rafaela David said.

“Every day Akbayan remains unseated undermines our electoral democracy and denies marginalized sectors the representation they urgently need," she added.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia told Philstar.com that Akbayan's ascension to a House seat is "not automatic" as the removal and acceptance of new members is "the call of Congress."

In a decision promulgated on August 6 but was only released on Monday, September 16, the Supreme Court upheld the Comelec resolution canceling the registration of the An-Waray party-list. The case stemmed from the allegation that it allowed a second nominee to assume office in the 16th Congress despite An Waray being entitled to only one seat, in violation of the Party-List System Act.

Akbayan lost in the 2019 and 2022 elections.

Elections for House members will next take place during the 2025 midterm polls.  

"With the [Supreme Court's] ruling, Akbayan is poised to end nearly five years of absence from Congress, reclaiming its place as the longest-serving party-list group back in the parliament since the 1998 elections," the party said.

On the same day, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno took his oath of office as a member of the party. He was sworn in by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.