Dennis Gaviola

Security perform simulation exercises at the House of Representatives north gate entrance in Batasan, Quezon City on July 20, 2023 a few days before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Batasang Pambansa Complex is under security lockdown as preparations reach the final stages of the SONA slated for July 24. Joan Bondoc, PNA photos

Article (news)

Jonathan Frederic De Santos

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17397268632161739726907985.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Security perform simulation exercises at the House of Representatives north gate entrance in Batasan, Quezon City on July 20, 2023 a few days before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Batasang Pambansa Complex is under security lockdown as preparations reach the final stages of the SONA slated for July 24. Joan Bondoc, PNA photos"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Security perform simulation exercises at the House of Representatives north gate entrance in Batasan, Quezon City on July 20, 2023 a few days before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Batasang Pambansa Complex is under security lockdown as preparations reach the final stages of the SONA slated for July 24. <em>Joan Bondoc, PNA photos</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — An election watchdog this week flagged more than half of the groups running in the party-list elections — a system that a campaign strategist said has become a political tool to consolidate power — of having dubious claims of representing the marginalized.</p><p>Worse, 65 of the more than 150 party-list groups seeking seats at the House of Representatives are linked to political families and big business, according to Kontra Daya.</p><p>Passed into law in 1995 and required by the Constitution since 1987, party-list elections are meant to give Filipinos “belonging to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties, and who lack well-defined political constituencies” a chance at a seat at the House.</p><p>Since 2013, though, party-list elections have been opened to regional and national parties and nominees no longer have to be from the marginalized sector they represent.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/12/most-party-lists-in-2025-elections-don-t-represent-marginalized-sectors-watchdog-2015">Most party-lists in 2025 elections don&#x27;t represent marginalized sectors: watchdog</a></div><p>Of the party-lists that Kontra Daya flagged, seven are among the eight projected to win at least one seat in the May elections.</p><p>“The party-list system, which is supposed to protect the marginalized — it ends up marginalizing the already marginalized,” Kontra Daya convenor Danila Arao said at the launch of the group’s findings this week.</p><p>He said the entry of party-list groups that may have been organized by or backed by political clans and business interests has edged out groups that do not have money or machinery and who the party-list system was meant for.</p><p>Arao said the watchdog is not calling for the party-list system to be scrapped, only returned to its original intent through a Supreme Court review of its 2013 ruling or through new legislation.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZTl_y3qDUXg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>&quot;It has really become a political tool for some political dynasties to extend their power… it has become a tool for big business to enter politics,&quot; political campaign strategist Alan German told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Dateline&quot; this week.</p><p>&quot;What minority are they representing? What interests of what group are they representing?&quot; he said, adding party-lists have become a tool to &quot;make the strong stronger.&quot;</p><p>He said the system has been &quot;misused and abused to make a majority a super majority…because you’re seeing relatives of politicians in power who are just taking over party-lists or being named as nominees of others.&quot;</p><div><strong>&#x27;OUR TRACK RECORDS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES&#x27;</strong></div><p>But party-list groups flagged by Kontra Daya say they have managed to help the poor and marginalized. </p><p>House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list said his group  — which Kontra Daya links to conglomerate Sunwest Group through Rep. Elizaldy Co — to has programs “that have directly benefited thousands of our constituents, especially those in vulnerable and underserved communities.”</p><p>House Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-list said the group&#x27;s &quot;track record speaks for itself — we’ve passed more than 40 legislative measures into law just this term, addressing key issues that matter to Filipinos.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/13/escudero-agrees-party-list-system-needs-review-1511"></a><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/13/escudero-agrees-party-list-system-needs-review-1511">Party-lists flagged for links to businesses, political clans point to track record</a></div><p>Acidre added: &quot;Tingog Centers nationwide provide direct assistance to those who need it most.&quot;</p><p>Tingog&#x27;s other representative at the House is Yedda Romualdez, wife of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Their son Andrew Julian is the party-list&#x27;s first nominee in the May polls.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/11ndzyg9IiU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, a candidate for senator, meanwhile, said he does not know what Arao is talking about.</p><p>“Kasi dapat party-list should represent a sector. Pero if they are not representing a sector, bakit inaprubahan ng Comelec? Dapat ibato ‘yung question na ‘yan sa Comelec,” he said.</p><p>(If party-lists should represent sectors, and if they are not representing a sector, then why did the Commission on Elections approve their application? That question should be addressed to Comelec.)</p><p>Kontra Daya flagged ACT-CIS for ties to the Tulfo — one senator, two party-list and a district representative — and Yap — a party-list rep and a district representative — families.</p><p>&quot;I’ve worked hard building up my educational background to best serve the Filipino people and spent the past 10 years in public service working my way up from researcher to chief of staff,&quot; Brian Poe Llamanzares, son of Sen. Grace Poe and first nominee of FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list, said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/1/tiktokers-vloggers-capitalize-on-clout-common-touch-in-venture-into-politics-1549">TikTokers, vloggers capitalize on clout, common touch in venture into politics</a></div><div><strong>REPRESENTATION STILL KEY</strong></div><p>While richer party-lists can arguably perform their duties as lawmakers, lack of seats at the House deprives the marginalized of a key thing, Dr. Anthony Lawrence Borja, who has a PhD in Public Administration from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said: Representation.</p><p>&quot;Representation involves making someone absent present. In this case, representing the marginalized entails making them present in government,&quot; Borja told ABS-CBN News in an online exchange.</p><p>&quot;The representative serves as their mouth and ears and such a function will fail if the supposed representative is detached from the hearts, minds, struggles, and interests of the represented.&quot;</p><p>If supposed representatives don&#x27;t have a clear picture of their constituents&#x27; lives and the problems they face, &quot;they might end up pursuing their own private interests or working for a fictional, romanticized, or downright inaccurate portrayal of the represented,&quot; he said.</p><p>Borja, an associate professor at De La Salle University&#x27;s Department of Political Science and Development Studies, is not hopeful for reforms to the system, noting caps on the number of seats at the House of party-lists leave them outnumbered by district representatives.</p><p>Of those representatives, eight in every ten is a member of a political dynasty, according to a 2024 tally by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/12/opinion-the-continuing-debasement-of-philippine-politics-and-democracy-1044">OPINION: The continuing debasement of Philippine politics and democracy</a></div><p>&quot;The moment it was pursued in an oligarchy, it was condemned to be abused by the ruling elites while imposing severe restrictions for authentic representatives,&quot; Borja said.</p><p>Given that and with little hope for amendments by Congress, Arao said the best that voters can do is to add to public pressure to fix the party-list system and to learn more about party-list groups they are considering supporting.</p><p>He said the public should scrutinize all nominees of a party, and not only those who were listed as first three nominees — party-lists can have a maximum of three seats — since &quot;members of political clans&quot; may be &quot;listed in bottom numbers&quot;. <strong>— from reporting by Raphael Bosano, Ched Rick Gatchalian, Harlene Delgado, Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News</strong></p>

<p>An election watchdog this week flagged more than half of the groups running in the party-list elections of having dubious claims of representing the marginalized.</p>

An election watchdog this week flagged more than half of the groups running in the party-list elections of having dubious claims of representing the marginalized.

WRAP: Why it matters if a party-list rep isn’t from the poor and marginalized

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WRAP: Why it matters if a party-list rep isn’t from the poor and marginalized

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 17, 2025 01:29 AM PHT

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