Nov 8, 2012: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the application of a party-list group of persons with disabilities to participate in next year’s elections, but rejected the bid of an incumbent anti-communist group claiming to represent rebel returnees.

Pilipinos with Disabilities (PWD) is the first party-list group approved by the Comelec to participate in next year’s party-list derby. Its representatives are visually-impaired Michael Barredo, orthopedically-impaired Manuel Agcaoili, Adeline Ancheta, Octavio Gonzales and Luis Arrelano – all of whom are persons with disabilities.

This will be the first time a persons with disabilities group is running in the party-list system.

"They are represented by Filipinos, all of them are disabled. Right now we don't have a representation of the disabled," Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Wednesday in explaining their decision regarding persons with disabilities application.

“’Yung nominess nila, talaga namang disabled. Pangalawa, may track record sila of working with and for persons with disabilities,” added commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who heads the special voters’ registration forpersons with disabilities.

Source: gmanetwork.com