Fifty party-list groups, coalitions, and organizations have been formally removed from the Commission on Elections registry following the promulgation of COMELEC Resolution No. 11281 on October 15, 2026, cutting the number of accredited party-list participants ahead of the 2028 National and Local Elections.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia signed the resolution alongside Commissioners Aimee P. Ferolino, Rey E. Bulay, Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr., Nelson J. Celis, Maria Norina S. Tangaro-Casingal, and Noli R. Pipo. The resolution takes effect immediately upon publication, according to COMELEC.
Legal Grounds for the Removals
COMELEC Resolution No. 11281 anchors the cancellations on Section 6(8) of Republic Act No. 7941, or the Party-List System Act. The resolution was issued in conjunction with COMELEC Resolution No. 11204, promulgated on March 11, 2026, which governs procedures for the 2028 elections.
Under RA 7941, the commission may cancel a party-list group's registration if the group failed to participate in the last two preceding elections, or if it failed to obtain at least two percent of party-list votes and failed to secure a seat in the second round of seat allocation in both of those elections.
COMELEC also cited the Supreme Court's ruling in Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. vs. COMELEC (G.R. No. 190529, April 29, 2010), which held that the non-participation ground and the two-percent threshold ground are legally separate and distinct and cannot be merged to support a single delisting action.
How the 50 Groups Were Divided
Of the total 50 delisted organizations, 10 were removed specifically for failing to take part in the last two preceding elections, according to the resolution. The remaining 40 were cancelled on the ground that they failed to reach the two-percent vote threshold and did not obtain a seat in the second round of seat allocation in either of those elections.
Publication and Notice Procedures
The COMELEC Office of the Clerk of the Commission issued a notice of the planned delisting on October 8, 2026, posting it on the COMELEC website that same day, the resolution states. The notice then appeared in two national newspapers — Tempo and Business World — on October 9, 2026.
The resolution further directs the COMELEC Education and Information Department to publish the resolution in two national newspapers, while the Information and Technology Department is instructed to post it on the official COMELEC website.
Delisted Groups May Still File for Re-registration
According to the resolution, the cancellations are without prejudice to any future action against retained party-list groups that fail to file a Manifestation of Intent to Participate, and to any petitions for cancellation or disqualification of groups or their nominees for the 2028 elections.
COMELEC's registration rules, as cited in the resolution, allow previously delisted parties to file a new verified petition for registration, keeping open a potential path back into the party-list system.
Bayan Muna Among the Notable Names
Bayan Muna, once among the country's top party-list vote-getters with three House seats won in the 2019 elections, appears on the delisting order after receiving only approximately 162,000 votes in the May 2025 midterm polls. Philstar had previously reported that Bayan Muna was facing possible delisting after back-to-back electoral losses.
Other recognizable names on the list include Magdalo Para sa Pilipino, Buhay Hayaan Yumabong, A Teacher, AKO-OFW, Babae Ako, Maharlika, Bayaning Tsuper, Pamilyang Magsasaka, and TODA Aksyon.
Partial List: Groups Removed for Non-Participation
Eight of the ten groups cancelled under the non-participation ground were identified in the resolution as: 1AAAP (1 Alliance Advocating Autonomy Party), 1-UTAK (1-United Transport Koalisyon), AGBIAG (Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano, Inc.), AKO (Ako Ayoko Sa Bawal Na Droga), FFP (Filipino Family Party), GRECON (Grains Retailers' Confederation of the Philippines, Inc.), INANG MAHAL (Ina Na Nagmamahal Sa Anak), and 1-LAMBAT (Isang Lapian ng Mangingisda at Bayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran). The remaining two groups in this category were not included in available source material.
The 40 groups removed under the two-percent and no-seat ground — including Bayan Muna, Magdalo Para sa Pilipino, and Buhay Hayaan Yumabong, among others — are fully enumerated in COMELEC Resolution No. 11281 and published on the official COMELEC website.
Source: breakingnewsnegor.com / Originally reported by Balita