An official of the Commission on Elections expects the number of party-list groups seeking accreditation for the May 2010 elections to surpass the 2007 figure of 153 party list organizations.

“We can expect it to exceed the 2007 figure,” Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said.

He said the commission anticipates more party-list groups to file petitions for accreditation especially since organizations still have until August 17 to do so.

So far, he said, there are over 100 “newly filed” petitions for accreditation for party-list.

Sarmiento, however, said party-list groups and organizations that failed to secure the two percentage vote level in the two previous elections will no longer be allowed to seek accreditation from the Comelec.

“The law is very clear so we can’t do anything if they failed to get the required votes,” he said.

The poll official was referring to the Party-List System Act or Republic Act 7941 which states that the Comelec can refuse or cancel the accreditation of party-list groups or organizations that failed to secure two percent of the total votes cast in two previous elections.