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Leody De Guzman seeks party-list system reform through people's initiative

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Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Halalan 2022 Presidential hopeful Leody de Guzman during his proclamation rally at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City on Feb 8, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/07/03072022-leody-de-guzman-seeks-party-list-system.jpg"/><figcaption>Halalan 2022 Presidential hopeful Leody de Guzman during his proclamation rally at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City on Feb 8, 2022. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential contender Leody De Guzman said he would seek to reform the party-list system through a people&#x27;s initiative if it would not be fixed at the legislative level. </p><p>This after the Commission on Elections is standing by the accreditation of party-list groups in Halalan 2022 even after poll watchdog Kontra Daya alleged that the system has become a &quot;backdoor&quot; for dynasties and other wealthy clans.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/04/22/a-backdoor-for-dynasties-comelec-stands-by-party-list-picks">A backdoor for dynasties? Comelec stands by party-list picks</a></li></ul><p>Comelec commissioner Aimee Ferolino maintained that unless the laws and rules are changed, they have no choice but to implement them.</p><p>Ferolino cited the case of Atong Paglaum vs Comelec as one of their basis, noting the ruling that sectors only need to have advocacy—and they need not be marginalized—to be accredited. </p><p>De Guzman said that if the Comelec will do nothing, they expect party-list from marginalized sectors to lead the reform. If this will not happen, a people&#x27;s initiative will be considered.</p><p>&quot;Kung gayon, ang pagrereporma ng party list system ay dapat na &#x27;mula sa loob&#x27; ng lehislatura, laluna sa mga totoong party-list ng mga marginalized sectors na makakasungkit ng upuan sa Batasan,&quot; he said in a statement last Friday.</p><p>(Therefore, reforming the party-list system must be ‘from within’ the legislature, especially the legitimate party-lists of marginalized sectors that will win seats in Congress.)</p><p>&quot;O kung sadyang humigpit ang tsansang manalo ay baguhin ang party list law &#x27;mula sa labas&#x27; sa pamamagitan ng people’s initiative, sa tulong ng mga samahan at kilusan ng mamamayan,&quot; he added.</p><p>(Or if the chance of achieving this is really low, change the party-list law &#x27;from the outside&#x27; through the people&#x27;s initiative, with the help of people&#x27;s organizations and movements.)</p><p>De Guzman said &quot;millionaire lawmakers&quot; are using the party-list system to gain more power in Congress and likened the situation to legislating an anti-political dynasty law.</p><p>&quot;Sa kasalukuyan, nagbibigay din ng puwang ang party-list system para sa mga milyonaryong nais maging kongresista; at sa mas maliit na gastos, dahil - bagamat tumatakbo sa isang pambansang halalan - kailangan lamang nilang makipagtransaksyon sa mga lokal na pulitikong may kontrol sa boto ng kani-kanilang mga base, na tumatagos hanggang sa barangay,&quot; he said. </p><p>(Currently, the party-list system also provides space for millionaires who want to become congressmen; and at a smaller cost, because - although running in a national election - they only have to transact with local politicians who control the vote of their respective bases, which penetrate as far as the barangay level.)</p><p>&quot;Tatlong dekada na subalit hindi pumapasa sa kongreso’t batasan ang isang anti-political dynasty law. Sadyang hindi gagawa ng batas na taliwas sa kanilang pansariling interes ang malaking mayorya sa mambabatas dahil sila mismo ay nagmula sa mga politikal na mga dinastiya,&quot; he added.</p><p>(It has been three decades but an anti-political dynasty law has not been passed in Congress. The vast majority of legislators will not make laws against their own interests because they themselves come from political dynasties.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/multimedia/infographic/02/04/19/party-list-nominees-who-belong-to-political-families">INFOGRAPHIC: Party-list nominees who belong to political families</a></li></ul><p>In the elections, voters are allowed to choose only one group among those running under the party-list system.</p><p>The party-list system is meant to give a voice to marginalized sectors in the lower chamber, though it has faced criticism after recent elections saw party-list groups field members of political families as nominees.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1850197" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential contender Leody De Guzman said he would seek to reform the party-list system through a people's initiative if it would not be fixed at the legislative level.

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Leody De Guzman seeks party-list system reform through people's initiative

Josiah Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 07, 2022 07:33 PM PHT

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Halalan 2022

2022 elections

Leody de Guzman

party-list system

party-list

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