The Nurses United (NU) party-list slammed on Tuesday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after poll body junked its petition for accreditation to join the 2022 polls.
In a news statement, the group representing nurses expressed dismay over the decision of Comelec, which it said deprived genuine representation of a marginalized sector in Congress.
“They let down the hundreds of health-care workers and millions of patients, who are looking forward to better national health-care,” NU said.
The group issued their statement after the Comelec released last week a resolution containing the list of party list groups, which would be allowed to participate in the raffle on Friday to determine their placement in the 2022 election ballot.
NU was among the 107 party list groups, which were not allowed to join the raffle after Comelec denied their petitions for registration.
To note, the Comelec questioned the composition of the majority of the NU membership, which the poll body said do not belong from the sector they want to represent.
NU said Comelec denied their petition for accreditation even after they submitted documentary proof that their members do in fact come from the health-care sector.
“Comelec did not give any formal reason to Nurses United party-List why it was not allowed to run in the upcoming polls,” the group said.
NU decried how Comelec continued to allow the misuse of the party-list system by “traditional politicians” as a “backdoor” to get another term in Congress and at the same time barring “legitimate” marginalized group representation.
Despite the setback on its 2022 poll plans, NU said it would still continue to push for the rights of health-care workers even if it has no seat in Congress.
Members of NU held a demonstration last Monday in front of the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila to condemn the purging of the party-list group.