Who they?

SKIP PARTY-LIST: Postscript presses its suggestion for voters to skip the Party-list part of the ballot on May 10 — if they are not sure FOR WHOM (referring to a person or nominee) they are voting.

A registered Party-list group will gain one House seat only if it garners at least two percent of the total votes cast. Of some 35 million votes expected to be cast, two percent will be 700,000 votes.

If enough disgruntled voters skip the Party-lists, the dubious PL groups will have a harder time getting at least 700,000 votes entitling them to a seat.

A boycott is our only defense against the bastardization of the Party-list system and the use of marginalized sectors as Trojan horses of discredited politicians and sly operators who cannot win a House seat on their own merit.

Unless we know the nominees hiding behind the false facade of a Party-list, we should never consider voting for the group.

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UNMASK THEM: But the Commission on Elections is allowing Party-lists to submit a minimum of five nominees by March 26, this Friday!

The poll body may be unwittingly playing into the hands of manipulators using Party-lists to sneak into Congress, gobble up pork barrel and wallow in the perks enjoyed by congressmen.

One trick is to HIDE THE REAL NOMINEE at the end of the long list. When the PL wins a seat, the first nominees back out, and the real nominee lurking at the end of the line steps forward to claim the coveted seat and everything that goes with it.

Our suggestion: Each Party-list must be allowed a maximum (not minimum) of only three (not five) nominees, whose identities must be publicized. Anybody not listed should not be allowed to substitute for any nominee who backs out or is disqualified.

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DISQUALIFICATIONS: We also suggest that these persons be barred from being nominated by a Party-list:

• Anyone who has run for public office in any of the last three national or local elections.

• Anyone who has been a governor, congressman, senator, Cabinet member, or held a public office of the rank of director or higher, or has been a presidential appointee.

• Anyone who has served with the military or the police with the rank of colonel or its equivalent, or higher.

• Anyone who is not publicly involved with the marginalized sector he wants to represent.

• Add this: Any Party-list that has won at least one House seat in three elections will be considered no longer marginalized and henceforth barred from PL elections.

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WHO THEY?: Based on their acronyms, or even their long names, the advocacy of most Party-lists is not clear. Voters should beware of nice-sounding names of allegedly marginalized groups whose vision is hazy.

Would you say these PL acronyms are clear or descriptive enough?: 1-AANI, 1-ABAA; 1-AHAPO; 1-AK; 1-CARE: 1-NET; 1-TUBIG; 1-UTAK; 1ST KABAGIS; 1ST PRISA; A TAMBAY; A-IPRA; AMA; AAMA; AMANA; AAMBIS-OWA; AANI; AAPS; AASCA; ABA; ABAKADA; ABAMIN; ABAY PARAK; ABBA-AMA; ABC; ABO; ABONO; ABOT TANAW; ABROAD; ABS; ACMA; ACTS; ADA; ADAM; ADD; AFPSEGCO; AG; AGAP; AGBIAG; AGILA; AGRI; AHON; AK; AKAP; AKB; AKI; AKMA-PTM; AKO; AKO AGILA; AKO BAHAY; AKSI; ALE; ALIF; ALIM; ALLUMAD; ALMA; ALMANA; ALNA; ALON; ALUM; AMANG; AME; AMIN; AMS; ANAD; ANG KASANGGA; ANG NICP; ANG PADER; ANG PDR; ANG TSINOY; CHINOY; ANUPA; APEC; APELA; APO; APOI; ARAL; ARARO; ARC; ARCAPP; AS; AT; ATM; ATONG PAGLAUM; ATS; AVE; AVPAP; AWAT; BAGO; BANAT; BANTAY; BAYANI; BH; BIDA (BATANG IWAS); BIDA (BINIGKIS); BIGKIS; BINHI; BUHAY; BUKID; BUTIL; CIBAC; COFA; CONSLA; CPM; DAMAYAN; DIWA; EMMANUEL; FIL-MUS; FIRM 24-K; IVAP; KAAGAPAY; KAAKBAY; KAKUSA; KALAHI; KALINGA; KASAPI; KLBP; LPGMA; LYPAD; NCCP; OPO; ORAGON; PACYAW; PBA; PCL; PFP; PM (MANGGAGAWA); PM (MASDA); SABOD; SAGIP; SB; SMART; UCAP; UFS; UNI-MAD; UNLAD PILIPINAS; WOMENPOWER; YACAP; YES WE CAN. –Federico D. Pascual Jr. (The Philippine Star)