The Association of Concerned Teachers in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental yesterday slammed the recent decision of the Commission on Election to disqualify them as a partylist group, ACT provincial chairperson Gualberto Dajao said.

Dajao said the COMELEC disqualified them for the alleged untruthful statement on their application when they declared that their organization has clusters in most of the regions in the country.

Dajao stressed that their group indeed has clusters in most of the regions of the country and this should qualify them as a partylist group for the upcoming elections.

He also debunked the national COMELEC's declaration that ACT only exists in Bacolod City but not in the entire Negros Occidental, saying that they have clusters in 17 cities and municipalities in the province and were, in fact, given a certification by provincial election officer Jesse Suares.

He believes that COMELEC disqualification of their group is because they are one of the vocal critiques of the Arroyo government, Dajao said.

It is unfair that while COMELEC allows the candidacy of other groups “we did not even hear of”, they are hampering the candidacy of ACT that has been existing since 1982, he said.

ACT will file a motion for reconsideration against their disqualification and will stage a protest if COMELEC denies its accreditation as partylist group, he said.*APN

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