The OFW Party-list has taken its protest to the Supreme Court, calling for a halt to the proclamation of winning party-list groups following their exclusion from the upcoming 20th Congress.
Led by outgoing Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino, the group filed a Petition for Certiorari on Monday, May 26, seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the implementation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc’s National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) Resolution 14-25. The resolution, issued on May 18, assigned 63 party-list seats in the House of Representatives.
Magsino emphasized that the move goes beyond electoral procedure. “This is no longer about procedure, it’s about preserving the integrity of a system designed to uplift the marginalized,” she said in a Manila Bulletin report.
The OFW Party-list has also requested a full review and recalculation of seat allocations, arguing that the current distribution failed to secure representation for overseas workers and seafarers — sectors they described as essential to the Philippine economy and social structure.
“Ibalik ang boses ng mga OFW sa Kongreso. Ang ating party-list representation ay dapat patas at totoo!” Magsino declared, stressing that the voices of migrant workers were unjustly excluded.
Several OFWs and seafarers joined the protest, signaling broad discontent among overseas workers who feel left out of the political process. According to Magsino, the party is pinning its hopes on the High Court “to uphold the integrity of our institutions.”
“This petition is not just about a seat. It’s about the promise that this system once held for farmers, laborers, overseas workers, and other underrepresented groups. That promise is now at risk,” she said.
