THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the accreditation of Health Workers as a party-list group, allowing it to participate in the May 2025 polls.

In a four-page resolution dated September 23, the Comelec en banc reversed its August decision dismissing the group’s bid to be a registered party-list organization

The Comelec said the group met requirements to register as a “sector organization.”

“As contemplated, the necessary information and the attached documents required for registration as well as those necessary to discern that it is a sectoral organization have been clearly established,” it said.

The Comelec also said it granted the group’s motion for reconsideration by liberally applying the rules given justifiable cause.

“Considering the various issues affecting health workers and the need for their representation in the legislature, the denial of registration of the petitioner will minimize, if not divest the health workers’ chance of representation,” it said.

In its August 22 decision, the Comelec said the group failed to “undoubtedly establish its intent to participate in the 2025 elections as a sectoral organization.”

The poll body is also set to rule today on the proclamation of a new party-list group that will take the place vacated by the “An Waray” in the 19th Congress.

“We received a letter from the House of Representatives asking us who is the next party-list after the removal of An Waray party-list. They also want to know who is the nominee of the next party-list,” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia.

Voting 14-1, the Supreme Court earlier upheld the decision of the Comelec to cancel An Waray’s registration as a party-list organization after An Waray nominee, Victoria Isabel Noel, was found to have assumed office as the group’s second representative in the 16th Congress, without a certificate of proclamation issued after the 2013 polls.

During the May 2022 polls, An Waray ranked 27th in the party-list race after getting 385,460 votes.

The Akbayan party-list group, which ranked 57th after accumulating 236,226 votes in the last elections, urged the poll body anew to immediately proclaim their group as a winner in the last elections.

“With the House of Representatives confirming the vacant seat and formally requesting Comelec to fill the position, Akbayan’s anticipated return to Congress is now certain,” it said.

Founded in 1998, Akbayan has successfully participated in the party-list elections until 2016. It failed to win any seat in the 2019 and 2022 polls.