Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Liberal Party president, on Comelec ruling re dominant minority party

Just four days before election day, Comelec says Koko Pimentel's PDP Laban is the dominant majority party while Manny Villar's Nationalista Party (NP) is the dominant minority party.

How can that happen when PDP and NP are both allied with the Administration? How can they be both majority and minority? Is the PDP-NP alliance the new KBL?

Honorable Commissioners, your decision runs counter to democracy. Runs counter to the basic tenets of fair play. Runs counter to common sense. Incredible. You chose to deny the existence of the Opposition and gave all the privileges to the Administration.

This is no different from the decision and politicking of politicians in the House of Representatives when they proclaimed GMA speaker and elected as minority leader their ally and party-mate Rep. Danny Suarez. Is Comelec also engaged in politicking?

We appeal to Comelec, don't pretend to be blind. Don't be an instrument and a tool of the Administration in trampling on our political rights and mangling our democracy. Has the Comelec become a sycophant too?

The decision was released yesterday, May 9, 2019 or four days before election day. There is no time to appeal. Was this deliberate?

This is absolutely unacceptable. We oppose this. We will oppose before the Supreme Court. No retreat. Never surrender.