Informed Engagement. Reformed Ballots. PoP 2010 Poolitikang Pinoy 2010 Volume 2 · Issue 1 · May 2010 PANIC AT THE DISCO: A review of the Party-List System and 10 Party-List groups Some tidbits about the Party-List they embody the spirit of the law House of Representatives. System (PLS): that created it. With a Congress favorable to her, it is believed this will • The Party-List System of the • Despite its existence for more facilitate Charter Change and Philippines is already more than than a decade, people are still the move to a parliamentary 10 years old since it was first not aware about or do not form of government. If included in the 1998 national understand the PLS and the role President Arroyo wins a seat in elections. Although it is much of Party-Lists. A recent Pulse Asia Congress this coming elections older than that if the provision Survey (conducted March 21- (she is currently running as for its legislation in the 1987 28, 2010) revealed that 6 out of representative of the 2nd district Constitution is considered. 10 registered Filipino voters are of Pampanga), she will then unaware of the PLS. Sadly, there have the chance to be elected as • The PLS, as provided in had been claims that this system Prime Minister. Section 2 of Republic Act 7941, is being used by politicians to was expected to “promote serve their interests in Congress. Such accusations of conspiracies proportional representation in It was once mentioned by former being harped by many opposition the election of representatives Supreme Court Chief Justice groups remain unfounded. However, to the House of Representatives”. Artemio Panganiban in G.R. No. it is worthy to note the dubious It was also designed to “enable 147589, better known as ‘Ang origins and platforms of some of Filipino citizens belonging Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party v. the Party-List groups that were to the marginalized and Commission on Elections’: “Indeed, accredited by the Commission on underrepresented sectors, the law crafted to address Elections (COMELEC). While there are organizations and parties, and the peculiar disadvantages of already guidelines proposed by laws who lack well-defined political Payatas hovel dwellers cannot such as BP 881, RA 7941 and other constituencies but who could be appropriated by the mansion relevant legislation, the Commission contribute to the formulation owners of Forbes Park”. on Elections has no comprehensive and enactment of appropriate guidelines or list of requirements legislation that will benefit the • The current list of accredited for accreditation available to the nation as a whole, to become Party-List groups vying for public.1 Because of this, now we ask: members of the House of congressional seats is being how are party-lists accredited in the Representatives”. scrutinized after it was made first place? And how do we know public that some of these if an accredited Party-List group Current perceptions of the PLS, groups were fielded in as pawns indeed met the requirements and is however, show that there are of President Gloria Macapagal- truly representative of a legitimate bitterly-contested notions about Arroyo, in a scheme to maintain sector? how Party-Lists work and whether a majority of her allies in the 1 There is no available or accessible legislation for accreditation of Party-List organizations per se. What is only available is a process/criteria for the disqualification of Party-List nominees, which is stated in Comelec Resolution No. 8807, Section 6. 2 PoP 2010 How Party-List groups are accredited Relevant to the process of accreditation to participate in the Party-List System, Sections 3 and 5 of RA 7941 state that any of the following can be a Party-List group: • Political party – refers to an organized group of citizens advocating an ideology or platform, principles and policies for the general conduct of government, which, as the most immediate means of securing their adoption, regularly nominates and supports certain of its leaders and members as candidates for public office. • Sectoral party – refers to an organized group of citizens belonging to any of the sectors (“labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers, and professionals”) whose principal advocacy pertains to the special interests and concerns of their sector. • Sectoral organization – refers to a group of citizens or a coalition of groups of citizens who share similar physical attributes or characteristics, employment, interest or concerns. • Coalition – refers to an aggregation of duly registered national, regional, sectoral parties or organizations for political and/or election purposes. While it is ideal that the PLS serves as a mechanism for proportional representation, the dominant interpretation now is that the PLS is for the representation of the marginalized sectors. Working within the currently accepted legal interpretation — that is a designed exclusively for the marginalized sector — the following operationalization of this requirement is provided below: 1. Does it represent a sector? 2. Does it pursue an ideology or political idea/s? 3. Is the population of the sector large? 4. Does the sector have a decisive role in national production and basic social services? 5. Does it experience an extensive degree of “marginalization”? 6. Is representation in government, particularly in the legislature, notably absent? 7. Is this absence going to be problematic for the consolidation of general interest? 8. Is it identified with groups prone to exploiting loopholes in the Party-List law? The Real Deal For illustration purposes, Pop2010 a sectoral party-list, it actually only the eyes of the poorest farmers takes a closer look at 10 of the represents farmers and fisherfolk in the country.”4 It supposedly (currently) 112 accredited Party-List in isolated municipalities, and it is has a membership of around groups in order to see whether these even competing with other similar 36,000 by 2007, covering areas accredited Party-Lists are legitimate Party-Lists that, in effect, fragment beyond Region VI. However, its first representatives of the marginalized their representation. Furthermore, nominee, Sharon Garin-Spijkstra, sector they claim to stand for. The having chapters in non-agricultural is a daughter of former Philippine following Party-Lists were chosen (i.e. Quezon City) areas puts its Coconut Authority Administrator via random sampling to ensure integrity into question. Oscar Garin, Sr. and incumbent San impartiality. Joaquin, Iloilo mayor Ninfa Serag- 2. AAMBIS-OWA (ANG Garin, a member of the ruling party 1. 1-AANI ASOSASYON SANG Lakas-CMD-Kampi. Among the noticeable MANGUNGUMA characteristics of a majority of NGA BISAYA-OWA 3. AHON (AHON PINOY) accredited Party-Lists is their MANGUNGUMA, INC.) Seeking to represent the Overseas penchant to start their short names This is another Party-List seeking Filipino Workers (OFWs), Ahon Pinoy with the number 1 or the letter to represent the agricultural sector. is claiming to “engage and intensify A. This particular Party-List was It supposedly “seeks to fight for a a campaign to assure OFWs that supposedly founded in Leyte and comprehensive and sustainable public funds intended for their Samar, and represents the sectors of legislative agenda for marginalized welfare is not wasted”. The group subsistence farmers and fishermen.2 farmers. Through a common voice, promises to “provide services to It boasts the support of Aurora AAMBIS-OWA wishes to bring OFWs and their families for whom Congressman Sonny Angara, attention and find rightful solutions the government has no welfare Quezon City council candidate Mike to the grassroot [problems] of the programs that provide meaningful Planas, Davao City congressional agricultural industry.” The group benefits. [And] Maximize the candidate Ruy Elias Lopez3 , and categorically seeks for “simple and amount of OFWs funds—estimated many others. While it claims to be essential solutions as seen from to have reached P14 billion—held PoP 2010 3 in trust by the government through 5. ANAD (ALLIANCE FOR and to sustain FOOD SECURITY the OWWA, the OFWs and their NATIONALISM AND nationwide,”13 there is very little families”.5 However, it has drawn DEMOCRACY) information as to the extent of the suspicion of pollwatching One of the more controversial Party- its membership and its ability to organizations CenPEG and Kontra Lists associated with the current prove its capability to represent Daya for allegedly being an administration, ANAD proclaims it the farming sector. Pacifico Rico Administration-backed pseudo- “was organized to counter, expose Fajardo, their first nominee, was partylist.6 Its first nominee, Dante and oppose the deception and lies former representative of Nueva Ang II, is the son of Manila Times of the communist propagandists in Ecija, was once an administrator of CEO Dante A. Ang, a former Congress. ANAD is aware that there the Light Rail Transit Authority, and publicist of President Arroyo.7 are representatives in the Lower was allegedly tasked to “maintain” House who are members of the GMA’s lead in Nueva Ecija in the 4. AMA (ANG MATA’Y communist terrorists or are used by 2004 elections.14 ALAGAAN) them to ‘JOIN THE GOVERNMENT This group supposedly represents TO DESTROY THE GOVERNMENT’”.10 7. AG (ANG GALING PINOY) the sector of disabled blind While it supposedly seeks to The most controversial Party-List people. AMA promises to “craft alleviate “the plight of the Filipino candidate to date, Ang Galing legislations which will strengthen poor by enacting laws towards Pinoy supposedly “is a multi- the programs and activities of the poverty alleviation and economic sectoral national party that claims national government to protect concerns,” its rhetoric always to represent security guards, the blind Filipinos. It is also the goes back to anti-communist tricycle drivers and vendors. The aim of AMA to craft relevant demagoguery.