A FORMER congressman warned over the weekend that “dubious, bogus and dynastic” organizations listed in the 2016 elections are out to hijack the party-list system.
Speaking at a media forum in Quezon City over the weekend, former Party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna said the election watchdog Kontra Daya has found out that political dynasties control some party-list groups and their nominees are invariably children, nephews or nieces of politicians.
“At the party-list system’s very core is the objective of giving voice to the people on the fringes,
reserving a portion of Congress
for the marginalized and
underrepresented.
“However, this noble idea has been disfigured by traditional politics. This is evident among many party-list nominees now running for Congress,” Casiño said.
Casiño argued that the time is ripe for amendments to the party-list law to be discussed and enacted to ensure that marginalized groups are represented in Congress.
“Party-list groups backed by political dynasties definitely have the lion’s share of resources to fuel their campaigns, skewing the party-list elections in favor of dominant, traditional politicians, undermining the spirit of the system. This is a tragedy for our marginalized sectors that deserve representation at the Lower House,” Casiño added.
He said the Supreme Court’s decision that party-list groups need not be marginalized to participate in the party-list system opened the floodgates for elite interests and powerful political clans to join the party-list elections.
In 2013 Bayan Muna, through its representative Neri Colmenares, filed House Bill 179, or the Genuine Party-list Group and Nominees bill.
The bill amends Section 9 of
Republic Act 7941, or the Party-List System Act, disqualifying anyone who has been elected and served as mayor, vice mayor, governor, vice governor, congressman, senator, vice president and president from being a party-list nominee.
The measure also disqualifies those who are related to incumbent government officials by affinity or consanguinity to the third degree, appointed and served in the Cabinet within five years from the party-list election they are being nominated for and served as a provincial director of the National Police or battalion commander in the Armed Forces.
Casiño, who is Bayan Muna’s second nominee, vowed to push for party-list reforms in the 17th Congress.
“This bill reiterates the essence of the party-list law. Former politicians, their kin, and high-ranking police and military officials have no business representing the oppressed and marginalized.
“Already, they dominate power and influence in the country. This meager space for the marginalized must be defended,” Casiño added.