OPINION
Ed Javier
How The Party-List System Failed The Poor And Favored The Rich
FILE
The party-list system in the Philippines, originally designed to give marginalized sectors a voice in Congress, has tragically been hijacked by the political elite.
What was meant to empower the disenfranchised has now been repurposed as a tool by powerful families, leaving little space for the very groups it was intended to uplift.
When Republic Act No. 7941, or the Party-List System Act, was passed in 1995, the intention was clear: to provide representation to laborers, the urban poor, women, indigenous peoples, and other underrepresented groups in our legislative process.
The party-list system was meant as an alternative for those who would not have a chance of winning in district elections, giving them an avenue to influence laws and policies.
It was envisioned to challenge the dominance of political dynasties and open the doors of Congress to those who had no foothold in the traditional political arena.
But look at the current landscape. The original intention has been completely perverted.
Instead of providing a platform for marginalized groups, the system has been infiltrated by political dynasties and big-time contractors of public works projects.
Many incumbent party-list representatives and nominees are scions of political families, using this system as yet another means to maintain their grip on power.
For example, Bryan Llamanzares of FPJ Panday party-list is the son of Senator Grace Poe. Precy Vitug-Ejercito of Balikatan of Filipino Families (BFF) is the wife of Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Kat Pimentel of PDP Cares party-list is the wife of Senator Koko Pimentel.
Bryan Revilla of Agimat party-list is the son of Senator Bong Revilla. Marlon Bautista of 1Pacman is Senator Revilla's brother.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva of CIBAC Party-list is the father of Senator Joel Villanueva. Wanda Tulfo-Teo of Turismo party-list is the sister of Senator Raffy Tulfo and Representative Erwin Tulfo.
Natasha Co of BHW party-list is the daughter of former Representative Christopher Co and niece of Incumbent Representative and House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Zaldy Co.
Claudine Diana Bautista of Dumper party-list is the daughter of Governor Claude Bautista of Davao Occidental. Alona party-list representative Anna Marie Suarez is the wife of Representative JJ Suarez of Quezon.
These nominees are not connected to the marginalized sectors the system was designed to uplift. Rather, they are deeply embedded in influential political families, using their familial ties to gain an unfair advantage.
Not only do they enjoy name recognition, but they also have access to government resources, including government funds such as TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers), AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations), ACAP (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong), and all other acronyms they want to invent.
This kind of access enables them to build voter support, tilting the odds in their favor and further entrenching their power.
This advantage creates an uneven playing field, giving them an edge over smaller, grassroots organizations that lack the financial and political backing to compete on the same level.
While they may argue that it is up to the electorate to vote them into office, the reality is that their connections provide vast resources, allowing them to run more effective campaigns.
This unfair advantage distorts the very purpose of fair and proportional representation that the party-list system was supposed to ensure.
The absurdity of some party-list groups filing for the 2025 midterm elections underscores just how far the system has strayed.
Of the 190 hopefuls, we see names like AAMBIS-OWA, Vendors, 4Ps, OFW Family, MPBL, PBA and various other groups tied to big business and well-known political figures.
These examples show how the party-list system has devolved into a mere extension of traditional politics, where entrenched families rebrand themselves to perpetuate their influence.
The Supreme Court’s (SC) 2013 party-list ruling has only broadened the scope of who can run under the party-list system, weakening its very foundation.
Yet, why can’t someone challenge the old SC ruling that allows non-marginalized sectors or representatives to qualify for elections under the party-list law?
This includes cause-oriented groups under the Makabayan bloc, which often present themselves as advocates for the marginalized but are sometimes viewed as extensions of established political interests.
The composition of the SC has changed, and the previous interpretation may now be open to reevaluation.
A new challenge could argue that the original purpose of the party-list system—providing a platform for truly marginalized groups—has been undermined by the inclusion of organizations and nominees that do not represent these sectors.
If the current SC justices recognize the growing concerns about political dynasties and the exploitation of the system, they might be more inclined to restore the integrity of the party-list system and ensure that it serves its intended purpose.
What we are witnessing today is a complete perversion of the system's original intent. Instead of grassroots organizations representing underrepresented sectors, we have political clans, big businessmen and their loyalists padding party-list rosters.
Rather than advocating for the needs of the marginalized, they promote the agenda of the elite, further widening the gap between the powerful and the powerless.
The sheer number of party-list candidates tied to political dynasties, as well as the influx of groups filing for the 2025 elections, reflects not a thriving democracy but one rife with opportunism.
The party-list system is no longer an avenue for reform; it is a corrupted system where privilege reigns supreme.
It is time to ask a critical question: Is the party-list system still serving its purpose? If it continues to be exploited by those it was meant to challenge, then urgent reform is needed.
If we fail to address this issue, we allow the exploitation of a law that once stood for empowerment. The party-list system, instead of uplifting the marginalized, has become another casualty of the political elite’s greed.
If reforms are not put in place, or if abolition is not considered, we risk losing a tool that once held the promise of genuine representation, turning it into yet another mechanism for the powerful to entrench themselves further.
In our next column, we will delve deeper into how the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has allowed itself to be complicit in this institutional failure, enabling the powerful elite to masquerade as marginalized representatives.
If COMELEC continues to participate in this broken system, the hope for real reform will remain distant.
What was meant to empower the disenfranchised has now been repurposed as a tool by powerful families, leaving little space for the very groups it was intended to uplift.
When Republic Act No. 7941, or the Party-List System Act, was passed in 1995, the intention was clear: to provide representation to laborers, the urban poor, women, indigenous peoples, and other underrepresented groups in our legislative process.
The party-list system was meant as an alternative for those who would not have a chance of winning in district elections, giving them an avenue to influence laws and policies.
It was envisioned to challenge the dominance of political dynasties and open the doors of Congress to those who had no foothold in the traditional political arena.
But look at the current landscape. The original intention has been completely perverted.
Instead of providing a platform for marginalized groups, the system has been infiltrated by political dynasties and big-time contractors of public works projects.
Many incumbent party-list representatives and nominees are scions of political families, using this system as yet another means to maintain their grip on power.
For example, Bryan Llamanzares of FPJ Panday party-list is the son of Senator Grace Poe. Precy Vitug-Ejercito of Balikatan of Filipino Families (BFF) is the wife of Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Kat Pimentel of PDP Cares party-list is the wife of Senator Koko Pimentel.
Bryan Revilla of Agimat party-list is the son of Senator Bong Revilla. Marlon Bautista of 1Pacman is Senator Revilla's brother.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva of CIBAC Party-list is the father of Senator Joel Villanueva. Wanda Tulfo-Teo of Turismo party-list is the sister of Senator Raffy Tulfo and Representative Erwin Tulfo.
Natasha Co of BHW party-list is the daughter of former Representative Christopher Co and niece of Incumbent Representative and House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Zaldy Co.
Claudine Diana Bautista of Dumper party-list is the daughter of Governor Claude Bautista of Davao Occidental. Alona party-list representative Anna Marie Suarez is the wife of Representative JJ Suarez of Quezon.
These nominees are not connected to the marginalized sectors the system was designed to uplift. Rather, they are deeply embedded in influential political families, using their familial ties to gain an unfair advantage.
Not only do they enjoy name recognition, but they also have access to government resources, including government funds such as TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers), AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations), ACAP (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong), and all other acronyms they want to invent.
This kind of access enables them to build voter support, tilting the odds in their favor and further entrenching their power.
This advantage creates an uneven playing field, giving them an edge over smaller, grassroots organizations that lack the financial and political backing to compete on the same level.
While they may argue that it is up to the electorate to vote them into office, the reality is that their connections provide vast resources, allowing them to run more effective campaigns.
This unfair advantage distorts the very purpose of fair and proportional representation that the party-list system was supposed to ensure.
The absurdity of some party-list groups filing for the 2025 midterm elections underscores just how far the system has strayed.
Of the 190 hopefuls, we see names like AAMBIS-OWA, Vendors, 4Ps, OFW Family, MPBL, PBA and various other groups tied to big business and well-known political figures.
These examples show how the party-list system has devolved into a mere extension of traditional politics, where entrenched families rebrand themselves to perpetuate their influence.
The Supreme Court’s (SC) 2013 party-list ruling has only broadened the scope of who can run under the party-list system, weakening its very foundation.
Yet, why can’t someone challenge the old SC ruling that allows non-marginalized sectors or representatives to qualify for elections under the party-list law?
This includes cause-oriented groups under the Makabayan bloc, which often present themselves as advocates for the marginalized but are sometimes viewed as extensions of established political interests.
The composition of the SC has changed, and the previous interpretation may now be open to reevaluation.
A new challenge could argue that the original purpose of the party-list system—providing a platform for truly marginalized groups—has been undermined by the inclusion of organizations and nominees that do not represent these sectors.
If the current SC justices recognize the growing concerns about political dynasties and the exploitation of the system, they might be more inclined to restore the integrity of the party-list system and ensure that it serves its intended purpose.
What we are witnessing today is a complete perversion of the system's original intent. Instead of grassroots organizations representing underrepresented sectors, we have political clans, big businessmen and their loyalists padding party-list rosters.
Rather than advocating for the needs of the marginalized, they promote the agenda of the elite, further widening the gap between the powerful and the powerless.
The sheer number of party-list candidates tied to political dynasties, as well as the influx of groups filing for the 2025 elections, reflects not a thriving democracy but one rife with opportunism.
The party-list system is no longer an avenue for reform; it is a corrupted system where privilege reigns supreme.
It is time to ask a critical question: Is the party-list system still serving its purpose? If it continues to be exploited by those it was meant to challenge, then urgent reform is needed.
If we fail to address this issue, we allow the exploitation of a law that once stood for empowerment. The party-list system, instead of uplifting the marginalized, has become another casualty of the political elite’s greed.
If reforms are not put in place, or if abolition is not considered, we risk losing a tool that once held the promise of genuine representation, turning it into yet another mechanism for the powerful to entrench themselves further.
In our next column, we will delve deeper into how the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has allowed itself to be complicit in this institutional failure, enabling the powerful elite to masquerade as marginalized representatives.
If COMELEC continues to participate in this broken system, the hope for real reform will remain distant.
Oct 11, 2024
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