Makabayan bloc says yes to party-list law amendments

MANILA, Philippines — Militant lawmakers in the House of Representatives have expressed support for proposals to amend the party-list law to prevent abuses by some sectors.

Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, of the Makabayan bloc, said they are open to amendments in the party-list system to ensure that only legitimate groups from marginalized sectors are allowed in Congress.

“We believe the system is being hijacked, or as some even said, bastardized, by allowing just anybody to join. This is being used as backdoor by dynasties. They allow just anybody and any name to join even without clear advocacies,” he argued in the episode of “The Chiefs” on One News last Thursday night.

Zarate bared that their group even pushed for amendment of the party-list law during the 16th Congress when they filed a measure, which reached the plenary but was not passed.

“We already filed amendatory bill, but unfortunately this was blocked by those in control of Congress. We want to keep the spirit and intent of the party-list system as introduced in the Constitution, which was copied from European tradition. It reached the plenary but it was not passed,” he recalled.

Zarate said their group supports calls to amend the law, but not the abolition of the party-list system.

However, the congressman admitted that it would be a “painstaking and long process.”

Earlier this week, two administration lawmakers – Deputy Speaker and BH party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera and Assistant Majority Leader and Ang Probinsyano party-list Rep. Alfred Delos Santos – also supported calls to amend the party-list law.

They agreed with the pronouncement of President Duterte that some quarters abuse the system to advance their interests in government – including the communist party that allegedly uses party-list groups as their “legal front.”

Meanwhile, Zarate slammed the President for again red-tagging their group in what he branded as part of “dirty tactics” being employed by the administration against the opposition and Vice President Leni Robredo, whose presidential bid is said to be gaining ground.

“For all intents and purposes, this is really a politically calculated action from Malacañang. He (Duterte) is doing this to help the candidates he’s supporting,” he said.

“He is also sowing intrigues against the opposition, which is gaining strong support to stop Marcos and Duterte from winning and the return of dictatorship and continuation of tyranny,” Zarate alleged.

He also believes that the latest attack against them by the President was a “squid tactic” to veer the public’s attention away from pressing issues, including rising oil prices and the continuing aggression by China in the West Philippine Sea.