Quo vadis party list?

COMMENTARY

The EDSA dream of gradually transforming an elite and moneyed Congress into one truly representing the interests of the people through the party list system is fast turning into a gruesome nightmare as we approach the 2010 elections.

With all eyes focused on the success of an automated electoral system implemented nationwide for the first time in Philippine elections, hardly anyone has bothered to look into the rapid bastardization of the party list system from the time of Garci’s scandalous phone calls in 2004 to the present polls.

When investigations were made involving alleged cheating exposed through Palace phone calls with Comelec’s Commissioner Garcil-lano, five party list groups, some dubious and from Mindanao were nonchalantly cited by Garcillano as assured winners in the 2004 Polls. These included SMILE, ALIF, VFP and ANAD. While veterans’ interests must truly be represented in Congress, what made the VFP dubious was the suspicion that it was among the long list of groups financially supported by the government.

VFP was proclaimed first and ALIF came later, garnering 176,034 votes in the four provinces of the ARMM, totaling 22.5 percent of the total votes for the party-list cast in the autonomous region, a feat unparalleled in party list history. No investigation was made by Comelec regarding these dubious poll results despite earlier protests made by incumbent party list groups.

In the 2007 polls, Akbayan exposed 11 dubious party list groups including the brother of then Chair Abalos who headed Biyaheng Pinoy, a tricycle party list group founded in Mandaluyong but whose bulk of votes came from Mindanao. We proposed that the Comelec create a special committee to review these nebulous PL groups, but the Chair refused, claiming that it was too late in the day since the groups were all accredited. When we sought for a release of the names of the nominees, the Comelec again refused.

Only a High Court ruling reversing the Comelec decision gave us access to information regarding the names of the nominees.

The results of 2007 polls showed only 13 party-list groups winning against a list of 93 accredited. Several petitions to the Supreme Court in protest resulted in a reversal by the Supreme Court of its Veterans’ ruling which limited the maximum three seats to the party gaining the highest number of votes. This was the good news. The sad news was a radical SC ruling reversing itself in allowing seats for party list groups garnering less than two percent in an effort to comply with the 20 percent party-list seats provided by the Constitution. Through this reversal, dubious groups such as ANAD, BANAT, KAKUSA and BANTAY all gained party list seats in the House. The most controversial of all is Jovito Palparan, notorious for the trail of blood left by his counter-insurgency campaigns in every province where he was in command.

Because no serious effort has ever been done by Comelec to investigate the integrity of all the groups it has accredited, both past and present, we now have a whopping 187 accredited groups, more than double the list accredited by Abalos, including the questionable groups.

Some curious names in the 187 list include AGBIAG, no. 34 and Ang Galing Pinoy, no. 89. In 2007 this was one and the same suspected government front called “Ang Galing Pinoy, Agbiag! Timpuyog Ilocano, Inc.” (AGBIAG) for short. Now they have split like an amoeba with Ang Galing Pinoy “aching” to have Mikey Arroyo its first nominee in the party list. In addition, we would like to ask the Comelec what “1-AKO BABAENG ASTIG AASENSO” stands for and what under-represented sections of the population does it represent? “Mga astig na babaeng aasenso”? Is this not a mockery of the system? Yet Comelec has accredited the group.

1-UTAK is among seven accredited party list groups that command the first row because they all start with “1”! Obviously this is intended to have these seven groups listed ahead of some 102! party list groups starting with the letter “A”. While these PL titles in competition of billing are a comedy by themselves, what is more bothersome is the fact that the transport group 1-UTAK should offer its first slot to a GMA Cabinet member, Angelo Reyes, whose loyalty to the President today is measured by the years of service he has given to her in the various Cabinet posts he has held regardless of experience these past 9 years.

There are only two months left before elections. We are faced with a regime in a desperate drive to hold on to power in a period of rapid decline. This kilometer-long list of 187 party-list groups may hold the key to her last remaining options—a private army of party list loyalists to support her Speakership where district solons are fast jumping ship in search of new perks.

The Party List Caucus must be reactivated to move immediately with the active support of the informed public. The Comelec must be called to task and the Supreme Court must respond decisively before the dream of EDSA for a democratic Congress ends in a gruesome nightmare. A democratic Congress can still be a reality, but only with the concerted action of an informed public. –ETTA PARGAS-ROSALES, Manila Times