Partylist system is out of control and should be abolished

Like Frankenstein’s monster, the partylist system has turned into an abomination, so far removed from what its creators in the 1987 Constitution had envisioned.

Instead of representing the poor, marginalized groups, the partylist is now the easy electoral vehicle for the rich, the political dynasties, the communists, the religious zealots, and anyone else with the money and desire to enter Congress.

It is indeed a travesty of democracy when you have a multi-billionaire (Rep. Mikee Romero, net worth P7.2 billion) supposedly representing displaced and marginalized people. Even the name of his party is absurd and shameless: 1-Pacman or, the One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals.

Hope they paid royalties to Manny Pacquiao since 1-Pacman got two seats in the last elections. The thing is, nobody has asked Rep. Romero if his foray into politics had anything to do with his ongoing legal battle and personal and business feud with his father, the property developer Reghis Romero II.

Instead of widening representation in the legislature, the partylist system has only given political elites another means to obtain positions in government and ensure their families are firmly entrenched in power.

For example, Aambis-Owa is supposedly a party for the poorest farmers. But its representative is Sharon Garin, who hails from a well-known political family in Iloilo. Her father was a former congressman, brother a vice governor (whose wife Janette Garin of Dengvaxia infamy, was also a former congresswoman), and her sister and mother are both mayors.

Other partylist groups in Congress backed by powerful political families are Alona (the Suarez family headed by former congressman Danilo); Abono (the Estrella-Ortega families of La Union and Pangasinan); Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (or “PBA”, led by former Speaker Prospero Nograles); and SBP (the Belmontes with former Speaker Feliciano Belmonte).

One would think that having one politician in the family would be enough but not for our country’s political elites. Unsatisfied with obtaining positions via the traditional electoral route, they have to hijack the partylist system as well.

For instance, the Belmonte family already has a houseful of politicians with patriarch Sonny, his daughter Joy a vice mayor of Quezon City, nephew Jose Christopher a congressman in the 6th district, and another two nephews as councilors.

The family then set up the SBP (it could mean Sonny Belmonte’s Party, but they say it means Serbisyo sa Bayan Party) and nominated nephew Ricardo Belmonte as partylist representative. It is unknown what poor and marginalized sector the rich and powerful Belmontes are representing.

Article VI, Section 5 (2) of the Constitution expressly prohibits religious groups from participating in the partylist elections. But that constitutional ban hasn’t stopped large religious organizations from seeking political positions.

El Shaddai of preacher Mike Velarde, purportedly the biggest Catholic charismatic movement in the country, formed the Buhay partylist. They won two seats in the last elections which are held by Velarde son Mariano Michael and former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

The doctrine of the separation of Church and State should be held as sacrosanct. And yet in Congress, groups such as Buhay are pushing their religious beliefs and platform as espoused by the Catholic Church. This is antithetical to the secular nature of government.

But the biggest curse imposed on us by the partylist system are the communist allied groups in Congress. Just like any regular congressmen, the representatives of these communist groups and their staff get salaries and allowances from government. The question is, do they realign any of these state funds to the communist rebels who are killing government soldiers and policemen? Are they loyal to the Philippine Republic or to the communist movement?

These partylist groups were outed recently by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte who called for their expulsion from Congress for being the “milking cow of terrorists.”

Duterte said the partylist groups do not deserve to be in Congress, particularly the ACT Teachers group that had accused the mayor of not giving allowances to public school teachers. This is a lie, said Duterte, pointing out that copies of the budget, pictures of distribution, and liquidation signatures, will all attest the allowances were given out to the teachers.

ACT Teachers has two seats in Congress and is supposedly representing the public school teachers. However, it is also a member of the Makabayan bloc, which is really a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines. (Other members of the bloc in Congress are Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.)

Mayor Duterte said the ACT Teachers partylist group has been urging school children to join rallies instead of staying in schools. “When will the House of Representatives ever kick you out? Wake up, Ethics Committee,” she said.

I doubt very much that Congress will move against one of their own. Mayor Duterte has a much better chance at reforms if she pushes for Charter Change that will include the abolition of the partylist system.

Her father President Rodrigo Duterte early in his term had said he was in favor of scrapping the partylist provision of the Constitution. He said the partylist is just a “mockery of the law” and was being abused by the rich people.

“Its a shameless thing to do. Because you have the money you can buy anything? What is your group? The United Idiots Association?” said Duterte.

Duterte had said then that the new Constitution should be responsive to the will of the people, and that the party list should “never come again”.

I hope the President hasn’t given up on Charter Change, notwithstanding what his critics say against it.