Party-list reps buck plan to abolish them

By: Gil C. Cabacungan, Jovic Yee - 8 years ago

Former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman: Neither toothless nor Pyrrhic. 黑料社 FILE PHOTO

Former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. 听黑料社 FILE PHOTO

While President Rodrigo Duterte was right in saying that the party-list sytem has been abused by the rich and powerful, several lawmakers said it should not be abolished, as it had given the marginalized a chance to be heard.

READ: Duterte wants to scrap party-list system

Instead, the lawmakers suggested stricter rules and guidelines for party-list representatives, as well as hefty fines and penalties for those who abuse the law.

The President on Friday said he wanted the party-list system stricken out of the new Constitution to be drafted by a constituent assembly (Con-ass).

听鈥楳ockery of the law鈥�

鈥淲ith a new Constitution, I will insist: no party-list,鈥� Mr. Duterte said, adding that the system has been abused, with the rich organizing their own groups and 鈥渕aking a mockery of the law.鈥�

But in a statement, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the principal authors of the party-list law, said party-list representation must be preserved, as it was 鈥渢he intent of the Constitution to have the marginalized sectors represented in the House of Representatives.鈥�

Lagman added: 鈥淲hat should be done is not to abolish the party-list system, but to jettison its proliferation as a tool of the economic-political elite, major political parties, and other groups and regional [aggroupments that] do not have any claim to marginalization.鈥�

Trivialization

Instead of crucifying the party-list system, the Albay representative said the President should blame the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allowing its 鈥渢rivilization.鈥�

Lagman said the Supreme Court was also to blame for its rulings on how party-list representation should be apportioned, which he said has veered away from the formula provided in the law.

鈥淭here are only about 15 of the 59 party-list seats that are filled by representatives of marginalized sectors,鈥� Former Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said.

But Bello said the solution was not to abolish the system but to make the rules on party-list representation more stringent, with bogus party-list groups fined at least P2 milllion and their representatives jailed for at least five years.

Progressive

The law should also be clear on who qualifies as genuine party-list representatives instead of this being left to the whims of Comelec commissioners, Bello said.

Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque said the party-list system had allowed individuals like him, a University of the Philippines professor, to get a seat in Congress, which would otherwise have gone to traditional politicians and political dynasties.

鈥淭he party-list system has facilitated the entry into Congress of the most progressive individuals, including two who are now part of President Duterte鈥檚 Cabinet.鈥� Roque said, referring to Anti-Poverty Commissioner Liza Maza and Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano.听 Maza was a Gabriela party-list representative, while Mariano represented Anakpawis.

Act Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio also opposed doing away with the party-list representation in Congress, since the system 鈥渉as enabled certain marginalized sectors, such as workers, peasants, women and youth to gain seats in Congress. Abolishing the party-list system would leave Congress totally in the hands of the traditional political elites,鈥� he said.

鈥淟et鈥檚 not throw the baby out with the bathwater,鈥� Tinio added.

Spirit of the law

鈥淚nstead of scrapping the party-list system, why not go back to the spirit of the law that created it and ensure a stiffer accreditation of groups supposed to represent the country鈥檚 marginalized and underrepresented sectors?鈥� said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to burn down the house to get rid of termites and other pests,鈥� he added.

In a press forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Reyes said: 鈥淲e just need to go back to the intention of the Constitution鈥擺party-lists] are for the marginalized and underrepresented. You just can鈥檛 invent a sector and a representation. If needed, we should amend the law, making the criteria and accreditation of party-list groups stiffer,鈥� he added.

Reyes also expressed opposition to the Duterte administration鈥檚 decision to convene Congress as a Con-ass instead of electing听 a constitutional convention (Con-con) that would pave the way for a shift to a federal-parliamentary form of government.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 follow that since it鈥檚 cheaper, it is better. It also doesn鈥檛 follow that because we can save a lot of money, we can be assured that powerful lawmakers will not betray us,鈥� he said. TVJ

听