The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) raised alarm over the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) decision to hand over to Gabriela Women’s Party the 64th seat in the House of Representatives, warning that the move may breach constitutional boundaries and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
In a statement on Tuesday, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. underscored that the Constitution explicitly limits partylist representation to twenty percent of the total membership of the House.
With 317 members in the 20th Congress, the cap is fixed at 63 seats. The creation of a 64th seat, he said, appears to go beyond what the law permits.
“We urge COMELEC to clarify how this decision aligns with the fundamental law it is sworn to uphold, as exceeding established limits risks eroding institutional integrity,” Torres stressed.
The task force further pointed out that the decision becomes even more contentious given the beneficiary.
Gabriela Women’s Party, a left-leaning organization, remains the subject of a disqualification case filed before the poll body in 2019, Torres added.
