(photo from Rappler)
Bayan Muna, a party-list group under the Makabayan bloc, could be delisted after failing to win seats in two consecutive national elections (2022 and 2025).
In the partial official tally from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Bayan Muna currently ranks 64th, garnering only 0.14% of the vote, far below the 2% threshold required to secure a seat in Congress.
In a press release, Bayan Muna attributed its loss to persistent attacks and red-tagging by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the military.
“Ang paninira, red-tagging, harassment, fake news, at ang mga kampanya laban sa amin ay lalo lamang naglalantad sa pagkadesperado ng mga nasa kapangyarihan na patahimikin ang tinig ng pagtutol at supilin ang kagustuhan ng naapi” the group stated.
(“The smear campaigns, red-tagging, harassment, fake news, and attacks against us only further expose the desperation of those in power to silence dissent and suppress the will of the oppressed.”)
They also criticized what they called “fake representation” within the party list system and pointed to alleged anomalies in the Automated Election System (AES).
Under Republic Act No. 7941, a party list may be delisted if it fails to obtain at least 2% of the votes cast in the party list elections for two consecutive cycles.
COMELEC Resolution No. 9366 allows a delisted party-list to apply for new registration, but not for the election immediately following its delisting.