Party-list group Wage Hike withdraws bid from 2025 polls

Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The arty-list group Wage Hike withdrew its intent to participate in the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday.

In a document released by Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to the media, Partido Trabaho at Wage Hike — or Wage Hike — filed on December 12 a motion to withdraw from the party-list system of representation in the 2025 elections.

“During the meeting on 30 November 2024, the officers and members decided that the petitioner WAGE HIKE would rather focus on its programs rather than campaigning for the 12 May 2025 National and Local Elections,” the document read.

“Thus, during the meeting, the officers and members decided to withdraw the previously filed Manifestation of Intent to Participate in the Party-List System of Representation in the May 12, 2025 Elections,” the document added.

The Comelec granted the party list’s petition to participate in the elections last July 31.

READ: Comelec releases list of 156 party-list groups vying for House seats

Wage Hike was given the 58th slot in the previous raffle of the numerical arrangement of party-list groups.

Further, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a Viber message that this brings down the number of party-list groups from 156 to 155.

The Comelec En Banc then said that it “orders the Law Department and the Information Technology Department (ITD) to REMOVE the name of the Petitioner PARTIDO TRABAHO AT WAGE HIKE (WAGE HIKE) from the official ballot.”

READ: Labor group seeks suspension of ballot printing for 2025 polls

Garcia previously said that the poll body would start printing ballots on January 6, 2025, to give way to the resolution of the pending cases filed against national and local post aspirants.