Dissecting party-lists

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Under Republic Act No. 7941 or the party-list law, only 12 marginalized and under-represented sectors could seek congressional representation. These are: labor, overseas workers and professionals, peasant, urban poor, fisher folk, indigenous cultural communities, war veterans, elderly, handicapped, women, and the youth.

If one tries to dig deeper into why there are extreme efforts by some groups to have other party-list groups disqualified, he will reach a point where it would appear that an unseen hand or unseen hands are manipulating the movements of these organizations. The party-list law clearly prohibits government-funded entities and groups with non-marginalized leaders and nominees from joining. But take the case of more than 15 party-lists that were allowed to participate in the 2010 elections.

In 2010, election watchdog KontraDaya bared a list of party-list organizations that according to it was linked to GMA’s government. The list included AngGalingPinoy who had three nominees, one of whom was Pampanga congressman and presidential son Mikey Arroyo. The two others were also elected officials from Pampanga and members of the ruling coalition Lakas-Kampi. Sometime in August, this year, the Comelec said it wanted to know what the representatives of AngGalingPinoy have done to improve the lives of the security guards in the country. The sector is often exploited and underpaid. However it was clear that this party-list group has been used, even while it actually deserved to be represented.

The KontraDaya list also mentioned 1-Utak that was supposed to be represented by former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as first nominee. It has been reported that Reyes defended the oil deregulation law and the oil companies. If so, then his actions contradicted the very sector he sought to represent who were none other than the taxi and jeepney operators and drivers who fought against every oil price increase.

The list also included BatangIwasDroga (BIDA) who had Ms. Sheryl Genuino-See, daughter of then PAGCOR chairman EfraimGenuino as its first nominee. AbotTanaw was another group that was reportedly represented by Gerwyn See as first nominee, the husband of Sheryl G. See (BIDA nominee) and son-in-law of PAGCOR chair EfraimGenuino.

A controversial party-list group was one called BANTAY True Marcos Loyalists that had Ms. Evangeline Palparan, wife of Gen. JovitoPalparan for its first nominee. Retired Army Gen. Palparan ran for senator in 2010 but lost. Another questionable party-list group was Kabayan that had Exec. Sec. Ermita’sUsec Ron Salo as first nominee.Abono party-list, another questionable group, had nominees Robert RaymundEstrella and Franciso Ortega III who belong to the prominent Estrella and Ortega political clans of the Ilocos region who were allied with GMA’s administration.

A deeper look at the party-list groups purged by Comelec clearly shows that many of these organizations could not physically gather a visible crowd that they claim to represent. So far, Comelec announced that 35 party-list groups were purged from the list of groups qualified to participate in the party-list elections in May. Comelec chair SixtoBrillantes Jr. was also heard to have announced that around half of the 115 existing party-list groups would be allowed to participate in the elections next year. A total of 185 party-list groups out of the 187 organizations accredited by Comelec submitted their nominees for party-list representatives.

Brillantes had also announced last week that the poll body already canceled the accreditation of 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-Care) and the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (Apec). Presently, 1-Care and Apec have three seats in congress. But some electric cooperatives have complained that aside from being millionaires, their nominees have not seriously fought for their cause while in congress.

Even Brillantes was quoted saying that their basis for cancelling 1-Care and Apec from the list was that they are cooperatives and there is no sector for electric consumers. 1-Care and Apec had both claimed to represent energy consumers, but this sector is not included in the Party-list System Act. The lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gay (LBTG) sector through AngLadlad party, after winning the “hearts” of Supreme Court justices in their case on whether they should be allowed to run in the 2010 party-list elections, had candidates for seats in the congress but they did not win a single seat.

In the fight between Anakbayan and Akbayan, the former had described the latter as “no longer marginalized because it is represented in the Aquino administration.” Akbayan has also been accused of having links with the government considering that former Akbayan representative Etta Rosales has been appointed to chair the Commission on Human Rights. Other Akbayan members namely, Mario Aguio and Joel Rocamora are now with government having been appointed as GSIS board member and National Anti Poverty Commission chair, respectively.

While many from the left were appointed to positions in government, their appointments could be justifiable considering that they were chosen as individuals with personal skills and talents and not as members of the “Leftist” organizations they belonged to. Meanwhile, former Akbayan representative RisaHontiveros and former Bayan Muna congressman Teddy Casiño are both running for senator. Hontiveros is with the administration coalition while Casino is running for Bayan Muna. But, why does one leftist party-list group want to cancel another leftist organization from the Comelec list? It is quite suspicious. My guess is that the Left wants to show to the public that it is still “pure.” And so it has to purge its ranks of colleagues who have chosen to work with government. They see this as a stain in their fight for any good “cause” (or cost?). – marchfianza777@yahoo.com