The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday approved the merger of Lakas-CMD and of the Kabalikat ng Malayng Pilipino (Kampi) as a political party, saying that the party complied with all the necessary requirements.

“In the present petition, Lakas-Kampi-CMD has fully shown that it has complied not only with constitutional but also with the procedural requirements,” the Comelec’s Second Division said in its resolution promulgated.

Having procedurally and substantially complied with the requirements of the law, Comelec said Lakas-Kampi-CMD is qualified to be registered as a national political party.

It can be recalled that the Lakas-Kampi-CMD officially announced its merger last May 28 and subsequently filed for accreditation before the Comelec last June 26.

On July 21, 2009, Jose De Venecia Jr. filed a petition asking the Comelec to declare the merger of Lakas CMD with Kampi as null and void and to deny registration to the merged party of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
 
De Venecia said the officers of Lakas-Kampi-CMD committed acts inimical to the interest and good standing of Lakas-CMD by scheming “to keep the center of power in the hands of a cabal of people for their own personal and selfish ends.”

He cited his removal as Party President of Lakas-CMD as one of those schemes. Not to mention the merged party’s mode of amending the 1987 Constitution and the merger with Kampi as against the principles and objectives of Lakas-CMD and is violative of the party constitution.

But the Comelec onsidered De Venecia’s petition as a belated opposition since it came days after the hearing for the merged party’s accreditation had already been held.

“It is worthy to note that De Venecia is raising the issue just now, after more than a year of accepting the post and performing the functions as the president emeritus of Lakas-CMD. After enjoying the prestige and privilege of and after carrying out the functions of the office for more than a year, De Venecia is already estopped from questioning the process through which he was elected to the said office,” the resolution said.

According to Comelec the opposition came five days after the July 16 hearing on the party’s accreditation wherein no party appeared to oppose the petition.

“The non-appearance, therefore, of any intervenor, De Venecia included, during the hearing precludes anybody else from further questioning the accreditation. Any opposition, thus, submitted after the hearing should be considered as being filed out of time,” it said.