MANILA: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducted an electronic raffle on Friday to determine the placement of 156 party-list organizations on the official ballot for the May 2025 elections. The top position was secured by 4PS (Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino), setting the stage for the upcoming national polls.
According to Philippines News Agency, the top 12 slots following 4PS include prominent groups such as PPP (Puwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat), FPJ Panday Bayanihan (FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist), and Kabataan (Kabataan Partylist). Other notable mentions in the list are Duterte Youth, Mamamayang Liberal (ML), PBBM (Pilipinas Babangon Muli), and P3PWD (Komunidad ng Pamilya Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities). The list also features Murang Kuryente (Murang Kuryente Partylist), Bicol Saro, Ipatupad (Ipatud for Workers, Inc.), and Patrol (Public Safety Alliance for Transformation and Rule of Law, Inc.). Among the 156 accredited organizations, 124 were present for the raffle.
Com
elec Chair George Erwin Garcia emphasized that those groups not present at the raffle would still be assigned their respective slots. “This is the first time we had a raffle in the presence of the whole en banc. This is what we want to show, that they should not miss this opportunity. The procedure was orderly. We were hoping that the other groups would attend but we will not take it against them,” he stated in an interview.
The electronic raffle system, first implemented in the 2022 elections, aims to eliminate the previous practice where party-list groups competed for ballot placement based on alphabetical or numerical order. This method ensures a fairer process for all participating organizations.
For the upcoming elections, Comelec has accredited 42 new party-list groups, in addition to 118 existing organizations, demonstrating the diverse representation in the electoral process.