The One Filipinos Worldwide (OFW) party list asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from implementing the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) Resolution 14-25 promulgated on May 18, which distributed 63 seats in the House of Representatives among party-list winners in the last elections.
The group’s petition describes a “fundamental distortion” of the party-list system’s original mandate to represent the marginalized as it has supposedly been co-opted by entrenched political and economic interests.
The OFW party list requests the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the legal effect of said resolution, seeking a full review and recomputation of seat allocations.
“This is no longer about procedure, it’s about preserving the integrity of a system designed to uplift the marginalized. What we’re witnessing is a systemic shift that undermines the principles behind the party-list mechanism. The voices of our Overseas Filipino Workers and seafarers, the pillars of our economy and vital threads in our social fabric, were unfairly silenced by the inequitable seat allocation,” OFW Rep. Marissa Magsino said.
Joined by overseas Filipino workers, seafarers, and their family members, Magsino called for a reexamination of how the party-list system is being implemented.
Their petition argues that current implementation practices have created an uneven playing field, allowing politically entrenched entities to secure representation at the expense of genuine sectoral voices.
Among the issues raised is the continued use of the BANAT formula, which the group contends favors larger, well-funded parties that surpass the two percent vote threshold, often sidelining smaller groups that more accurately represent marginalized sectors.
The OFW party list likewise noted a discrepancy in seat allocation, noting that only 63 seats were awarded instead of the 64 mandated under the Constitution’s provision that 20 percent of House seats be reserved for party-list representatives. This, they argue, is not merely a numerical oversight, but a constitutional lapse.
Meanwhile, Comelec has yet to release an official comment, citing the need to thoroughly review the petition. Several winning party-list groups also deferred statements pending legal consultation.
The OFW party list hopes the Supreme Court will act on their prayer for Issuance of TRO and/or Status Quo Ante Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction with extreme urgency.
