By Leslie Ann Aquino

Bayan Muna earned the top spot in the official ballot among party-list organizations in the May 2019 mid-term elections.

Partylist listing in the official ballot was determined during a raffle conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday.

The second spot went to Kabalikat ng Mamamayan followed by Magkakasama sa Sakahan Kaunlaran.

The other partylist groups included in the top 10 are Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment Party; National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc.; OFW Family Club, Inc.; 1 United Transport Koalisyon, Kusug Tausug; Global Workers and Family Federation, Inc.; and Ang Nars, Inc.

Partylist group Kasosyo Producer Consumer Exchange Association, Inc., where former Communications assistant secretary Mocha Uson is a nominee, landed on the 134th spot, while cooperative advocate the Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba (ATING KOOP) partylist is No. 144.

A total of 181 party-list groups were included in the electronic raffle but only 134 were able to send a representative.

Earlier, the poll body already said party-list groups, organizations, or coalitions who fail or neglect to send a representative with a written authority under oath during the raffle shall be considered to have waived their right to participate.

The names of these party-list groups will be listed alphabetically below the raffled list.

In an interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez explained why they have adopted the electronic raffle in determining the order of listing in the ballot instead of just arranging them alphabetically.

“We noticed that party-list groups started adopting strange names. Names that were geared toward ensuring they were in the top half of the ballot,” he said.

“There is this theory going around. Some people say that it’s been proven, some people dispute the claim that placement on the ballots actually has an effect on your chances of getting votes. Meaning to say the higher on the ballots you are, the more votes you get. I don’t know that it’s ever been enough to push you over the winning line but of course, everyone wants every advantage that they can get,” added Jimenez.

“So, since that is the case, it is apparent that PL groups were adopting names that were fairly obsessive of getting to the top. You could see names that are starting with AAA not having to do at all with the advocacy being represented,” he said.

The Comelec adopted the raffle system starting in the 2013 elections.