As if
we do not have enough congressmen ransacking the public coffers already,
the 1987 Constitution created additional seats in the House of
Representatives (careful, not "Representathieves"), to be occupied by
Party List nominees. This time, we do not even directly vote for these
Representathie….., er, Representatives. We vote for the party, and it is
the party which nominates the person who will sit as congressman.
The party-list system is an innovation introduced by the 1987 Constitution allegedly in order to give a chance to marginalized sectors of society to elect their representative to the Congress. It is a scheme aimed at giving meaningful representation to the interest of sectors which are not adequately attended to in normal legislative deliberations, it is envisioned that system will encourage interest in political affairs on the part of a large number of citizens who feel that they are deprived of the opportunity to elect spokesmen of their own choosing under the present system. It is expected to forestall resort to extra-parliamentary means by minority groups which would wish to express their interest and influence governmental policies, since every citizen is given a substantial representation.
*****
Under Republic Act No. 7941, known as the Party-List System Act, the
labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities,
elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas worker and
professional sectors will have the opportunity to elect representatives
to Congress.
*****
To determine the winners in a Philippine-style party-list election,
the Constitution and R.A. 7941 mandate at least four parameters. These
are: First, the twenty percent allocation – the combined number of all
party-list congressmen shall not exceed twenty percent of the total
membership of the House of Representatives, including those elected
under the party list; Second, the two percent threshold – only those
parties garnering a minimum of two percent of the total valid votes cast
for the party-list system are "qualified" to have a seat in the House
of Representatives; Third, the three-seat limit – each qualified party,
regardless of the number of votes it actually obtained, is entitled to a
maximum of three seats; that is, one "qualifying" and two additional
seats; Fourth, proportional representation – the additional seats which a
qualified party is entitled to shall be computed "in proportion to
their total number of votes."
*****
At first blush, the objectives of the party list system appear to be
laudable. But, thanks to the ingenuity and craftiness of the Filipino
politician, we now see some people who would not even get elected as
Barangay Chairman occupying seats in the House of Representatives as
party list representatives. Some of them do not even belong to the
so-called "marginalized sectors of society". In fact, I know of a
perennial candidate who started running for public office during the
Marcos era (and never won), now representing the "urban poor" party
list. Holy Cow! There is nothing poor or marginalized about this guy who
drives around in an expensive car.
*****
Just recently, a congressman-son of the President who is not running
for re-election because his mother will be running as congressman in his
district said on television that there is a possibility that he will
return to Congress through the party list system. What? Is this
presidential son and incumbent congressman also a member of a
marginalized sector of society "not adequately attended to in normal
legislative deliberations"?
*****
An old politician explained to me why the party list system is very
appealing to his breed of predators. According to him, while one needs
approximately 50 million pesos to win a regular congressional seat, one
needs only about 10 million pesos to garner the required two percent of
the total valid votes cast for the party-list system to gain a seat in
Congress. An economical backdoor to the enormous riches offered by pork
barrel and "SOP", isn’t it?
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