The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the registration and accreditation for the May 10, 2010 elections of 12 new political parties as it denied the registration of eight others for lack of merit.

One of the parties that got the poll body’s nod was the People’s Champ Movement for the City of General Santos and Sarangani Province of newly crowned world welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who is eyeing a congressional seat in Sarangani.

The petitions of the political parties were heard separately by the Comelec First Division composed of Presiding Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento and Commissioners Armando C. Velasco and Gregorio Y. Larrazabal and by the Second Division comprised of Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo T. Ferrer and Commissioners Lucenito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph.

Ferrer said the 12 approved political parties, having been duly accredited, can now select and nominate official candidates for national and local positions at stake in next year’s major political exercise.

Those whose petitions for registration and accreditation were approved by the Comelec aside from the People’s Champ Movement are the Alliance of Bicolnon Party (ABP), Ako Bicol Party (AKB), Achievement With Integrity Movement (AIM PARTY), Unang Sigaw (Partido Ng Pagbabago), Partido Magdiwang Bagumbayan-VNP (Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines), Democracy of the Independent Liberal Conservative (DILC), Partido Pagbabago Ng Palawan, BUKLOD, Kalapian ng mga Kaibigan ng Kaunlaran-Bayan ng Hagonoy Inc. (Lapiang K), and Sulong Palawan Party (SPP).

Denied were the petitions of Pwersa Mindanao (PM), Manileño Nationalist Movement (MANILEÑO), Partido Sambayanang Pilipino (PSP), Isang Bayang Todo Ang Asenso (1-Batangas), 1A Guardians Republic Party (1A GRP), United Servants and Workers Advocating Good Governance for Comval Party (USWAG-COMVAL), Aksyon sa Gawasnong Katawhan (AGAKA) and Magdalo Para Sa Pagbabago (Magdalo).

Meanwhile, House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles Tuesday said he could not help but laugh at the observation of the Comelec that gays and lesbians are already well represented in Congress when the poll body earlier thumbed down the application of “Ang Ladlad” as a party-list group.

“That’s quite a very interesting observation and kind of funny because as Speaker, I have such a hard time figuring out who is what and what is who,” Nograles said in a text message to reporters.

The leader of the House of Representatives was reacting to an earlier statement by Comelec Commissioner Ferrer that gays and lesbians could not be considered a marginalized sector because they are already “overly represented” in the legislature.

Ferrer defended the Comelec’s decision denying the petition for registration of “Ang Ladlad” as a sectoral party representing the Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on grounds of immorality.

The decision drew flak for what some lawmakers and human rights groups called an “outright discrimination” against the LGBT sector.

On a serious note, Nograles defended the poll body against its critics by saying that Comelec “is a constitutional office that determines for itself who, the what the how and the when as far as conduct and qualifications of candidates and accreditation of parties are concerned.”

The Speaker also challenged Ang Ladlad to elevate its case to the Supreme Court if it strongly believes the Comelec erred in ruling against its accreditation petition.

“Of course the legal remedy is to go to the Supreme Court when you feel aggrieved by the decision of the Comelec,” Nograles said. (With a report from Edmer F. Panesa)