ABOLISH PARTY-LIST SYSTEM?

PREZ Du30 wants the party-list system stricken out of the Constitution. He says party-lists abuse the system, with the rich organizing groups of their own and using the system as a backdoor to enter Congress. Haslo!

The 1987 Constitution says half of the seats allocated to party- list representatives shall be filled “by selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.”

Poll watchdog Kontra Daya found that 70 percent of current party-list groups are either backed by political clans or big businesses.

“Representing what, security guards?” says Prez Du30s. “That’s a mockery of the law.”

The spirit and logic of the party-list system is sound although it is also very limited. However narrow, by allotting seats in Congress for the marginalized and underrepresented, at least their voices would be heard and would be part in crafting legislation for their sectors.

But the sad truth is that many party-list groups were formed and/or are being abused by the rich and powerful to get more seats in Congress.

During elections, rich and powerful party-list groups have the capacity to advertise their number on national TV. The poor party-list is at a disadvantage because their voters will not know the number of their party-list group.

To make sure that the spirit of the Party-list System Act is followed, the Commission on Elections should really be strict in their criteria for accrediting party-list groups because it will become a farce.

Say mo, Inday Rowena?