Comelec accredits 41 new party-list groups for 2025 elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited about 41 new party-list organizations for the 2025 national and local elections, down from around 70 in the 2022 polls.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia stated that fewer accreditations this time are not due to a desire to reduce numbers but rather to ensure that party lists represent marginalized groups.

Out of about 164 new and existing party-list groups, the Comelec has rejected around 142 applications for various reasons such as lacking constitution and by-laws or false advocacy.

Garcia noted that health workers are frontliners and it is good to give them a voice in Congress through their accreditation.

The poll body will finalize its list of accredited party-list groups this week, with the possibility of adding more organizations to the list.

Meanwhile, Garcia announced a new election guideline requiring party-lists to submit 10 nominees for representation - an increase from the previous requirement of five under Republic Act 7941.