By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

WHAT started as a political move to give a voice to marginalized sectors has turned out to be not only the country’s biggest highway robbery but also the biggest joke on the electorate. The system uses marginalized sectors as a front, disguised with motherhood statements, and using familiar acronyms for easy recall. It is no secret that the system is being exploited to the hilt by powerful businessmen and political families at the expense of taxpayers.

Without known specific constituency since most of those who voted for these are not members of the elected party-list groups, the nominees earn as much as the district congressmen, from salaries to per diems to shares of the pork barrel system.

Now read this. Our law says party-list groups are deemed qualified “Provided, that the sectors shall include labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers, and professionals.”

The party-list system “is a social justice tool designed not only to give more law to the great masses of our people who have less in life, but also to enable them to become veritable lawmakers themselves, empowered to participate directly in the enactment of laws designed to benefit them.”

“It intends to make the marginalized and the underrepresented not merely passive recipients of the State’s benevolence, but active participants in the mainstream of representative democracy. Thus, allowing all individuals and groups, including those that now dominate district elections, to have the same opportunity to participate in party-list elections would desecrate this lofty objective and mongrelize the social justice mechanism into an atrocious veneer for traditional politics.” (Bagong Bayani vs Comelec).

Even when major political parties are allowed by RA 7941 and the Constitution to participate in the party-list system, they must comply with the declared statutory policy of enabling “Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors x x x to be elected to the House of Representatives.”

“…Not only the candidate party or organization must represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors; so also must its nominees. The nominees must be Filipino citizens “who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties.”

Note the over-emphasis on the “marginalized and underrepresented”  sectors identified in Section 5 of RA 7941.

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THE POWERFUL AND AFFLUENT REIGN. So, pray tell, how and why were the following party-lists and others qualified by Comelec to be voted upon when these don’t reflect a representation for the “marginalized and underrepresented”:

 4PS – Pagtibayin at Palaguin and Pangkabuhayang Pilipino / PPP – Puwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat /  FPJ Panday Bayanihan /  DUTERTE YOUTH – Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth /  ML – Mamayang Liberal / PBBM – Pilipinas Babango Muli /  P3Pwd – Komunidad ng Pamilya Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities / MURANG KURYENTE  / PATROL – Public Safety Alliance for Transportation and Rule of Law / JUAN PINOY / ARTE – Advocates for Retail, Fashion,  Textile, Tradition, Events and Creative Services  Sector / WIFI – Walang Iwanan sa Free Internet Inc /  MAAGAP – Movement of Active Apostolic Guardians Association of the Philippines / EMPANAN SAMBAYANAN – Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Conference for Peace and Development / AKO PADAYON ko 

 1PACMAN – One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals, Inc. / TGP – Talino at Galing ng Pinoy  / ANAK NA KALUSUGAN – Alagaan Natin and Ating Kalusugan  / AKSYON DAPAT / BATANG QUIAPO  / PBA – Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta / GILAS – Generasyong Iniaalay lagi ang Sarili / AIA – Ako Ilocano Ako /  CLICK – Computer Literacy innovation Connectivity and Knowledge / PAKMAN – Pabalikin ang Kultruang Pamana Movement  / NANAY / KM NGAYON NA – Kilos Mamamayan Ngayon na  / BABAE AKO Para sa Bayan / ARISE – Alliance for Resilience Sustainability and empowerment /  MAGDALO – Magdalo para sa Pilipino  /  APEC – Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives  / MAGBUBUKID – Mamamayan para sa Gobyernong Bubuklod sa mga Isip at Diwa ng mga Pilipino

 TINGOG – Tingog Sinirangan / APAT-DAPAT – Dream, Act, Participate, Advocate for  Sustainable Transformation / UGB – Ugayon ng mga Gabay ng Bayan / AGIMAT / PHILRECA – Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association /  KAPUSO PM – Kabalikat Patungo sa Umuunlad na Sistematiko at Organisadong Pangkabuhayan /  ILOCANO DEFENDERS / TICTOK – Tulong Ipamahagi sa Communidad Tungo sa Kaunlaran / WAGE HIKE – Partido Trabaho at Wage Hike / ANG PROBINSIYANO /  BARKADAHAN Para sa Bansa / SBP – Serbisyo sa Bayan Party / BUHAY – Buhay Hayaan Yumabong  / TULUNGAN TAYO /  SAGIP – Social Amelioration & Genuine Intervention on Poverty

BTS BAYANING TSUPER /  ASENSO PINOY  /  ANG KOMADRONA./  PROMDI  / PUSONG PINOY -/  DAMAYANG FILIPINO / MPBL – Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan / ANGAT – Agrikultra Ngayon Gawing Akma at Tama  / KALINGA – Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation Building Through Easing Po /  MOCHA – Mothers for Change / ARANGKADA PILIPINO / AANGAT TAYO  / OFW – One Filipinos Worldwide / BIDA KATAGUMPAY – Bayan Itayo and Dangal NG Agrikultura Kasaman sa Tagumpay / KAMANGGAGAWA – Kampihan ng mga Maralita at Manggagawa / BFF – Balikatan of Filipino Families  / 4K – Kababaihan Kabalikatan para sa para sa Kapakanan at Kaunlaran ng Bayan / PBP – Partido sa Bagong Pilipino  / BH – Bagong Henerasyon  / 1AGILA – Lalalayang  Aguila Para sa Bayan./ PINOY AKO / H.E.L.P. PILIPINAS – Health, Education, Livelihood Program of the Philippines / PEOPLE’S CHAMP / SOLID NORTH PARTY / TRABAHO – Tagapagtaguyod ng mga  Reporma a Adhikaing Babalikat at Hahango sa mga Oportunidad Para sa mga Pilipino / TODA AKSYON – Towards Development and Action / TURISMO / ASAP NA – Alyansa Laban sa Substance Abuse Para as Bagong Pilipinas Natin / KASAMBAHAY /  TUTOK TO WIN / 1TAHANAN /  KABAYAN 1MUNTI / PINOY WORKERS  – People Working for the Development of the Philippines

 AKO TANOD /  PROBINSYANO AKO  SA LIPUNAN /  RAM – Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa  / ALONA – Alliance of Organizations, Networks and Associations of the Philippines  /  GP – Galing sa Puso /  KAUNLAD PINOY – Kaisipang Positivo Para sa Kaularan ng Pilipino. /  LPGMA – LPG Marketers Association / A TEACHER – Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action, Cooperation and Harm Towards Educational  Reform / GABAY – Gabay Ugnayan para sa Reporma at Oportunidad /  MALASAKIT@BAYANIHAN / AKAY NI SOL – Akay ni Solusyon Organisasyon  at Laban /LUNAS – Lungsod Aasenso  /  PAMILYA MUNA /  BAGONG PILIPINAS /  BBM – Bangon Bagong Minero   HEAL PH /  ABANG LINGKOD / MAGSASAKA – Magkakasama Sa Sakahan, Kaunlaran  / MAHARLIKA – MAHARLIKANG PILIPINO PARTY.

 So before deciding on which group to vote for, check out the nominees of your chosen party-list and get the surprise and disappointment of your life. There’s no one from the marginalized sector!

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MOVING ON TO 2025. The senatorial race this year will require close study of who should be in that august chamber. Here are my two early choices.

If there is one reform that can cut the current level of corruption, that will be a law that will help expose the ill-gotten wealth of government officials and employees – including the President.

This can only be done by excluding them from the Bank Secrecy Law. Imagine our corrupt government officials suddenly made to account and explain their unexplained wealth.  This has long been advocated by former Sen. Ping  Lacson and he said this will be one of his priorities should he return to the Senate.

Then, let’s thank Senator Pia Cayetano, for calling out the Bicam that initially made ‘Education only second to the Public Works’ budget, a violation of the Constitution. The bicam report was corrected but to her disappointment, no real additional allocation but simply shifted accounts to the DepEd.

She reiterated her continued commitment to the promotion of Filipinos’ health and education on her next term if elected.

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