On scrapping the party-list system
SMARTING from allegations that they have links or at least being sympathetic to the CPP-NPA the party list system is on the brink of being eased out from Congress.
I once wrote about the relevance of the party-list system. I was wondering why the marginalized and other sectors were not really represented in Congress. Instead, some rich and entitled individuals held positions which would otherwise belonged to the real members of sectors represented. Ah, such aberration, I wrote, since prominent businessmen and contractors represented poor workers!
Now, President Duterte has turned his attention to the party-list system and he suggested to Congress through Senate President Vicente Sotto III his desire to abolish the same due to its suspected links of some parties to communist groups.
He mentioned in particular the Makabayan bloc led by Attys. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate who were both sympathetic to the leftist group, CPP and its armed wing, the NPA,
The proposed constitutional amendments, including some economic provisions which, to some lawmakers, needed to be updated to be in sync with the needs of the times.
Sotto said the President wanted the party-list system amended, resolved or removed (Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list system Act) to make sure that the party-list groups being elected to Congress would only represent marginalized sectors and not pursue efforts to overthrow the gover nment .
With the Anti-Terrorism
Law in place, the government has the leverage on any plan of groups to destabilize it.
* * *
Will reshuffling alone prevent occurrence of corruption? This question begs an answer as DPWH and BIR began their massive work to weed out corruption in their respective of f i ces.
The engineers and contractors should rationalize paving of roads in Dau, Mabalacat City. You see, in the middle of the roads to be paved are acacia trees and electric posts. What is the point in paving them in the first place? Most often, paved roads are being utilized as parking spaces of business establishments.