Comelec renews call for party-list law overhaul

MANILA, Philippines — With the party-list winners proclaimed, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reiterated calls to overhaul the existing Party-list Law.

According to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, a new law is necessary to address the proper computation of seat distribution for party-lists and to determine whether party-list groups truly represent the marginalized.

“In the end, a law should be in place. There is only so much that we can do,” he said at a press conference.

In the 2028 elections, the Comelec will no longer allow party-list groups to adopt the names of popular television shows and government assistance programs, Garcia said.

But without the necessary law, any moves to be taken by the Commission may be declared unconstitutional, the poll chief stressed.

Garcia said he will continue pushing for amendments of the Party-List Law and expressed optimism party-list groups will support a new law that truly reflects the sentiment of the underrepresented.

Proclaimed

Comelec officially proclaimed 52 out of the 54 winning party-list groups yesterday.

Garcia said three of the winning party-list groups – Akbayan, Duterte Youth and Tingog – will have three seats each, while three others – 4Ps, ACT-CIS and Ako Bicol – will have two representatives in Congress.

According to the poll chief, the increase in the number of party-list groups with more than one representation in the House of Representatives is historic.

“These are not just numbers on a table, but a testament to the growing support and efforts behind every group. These results showed that representation is not just symbolic but sincere and has a strong linkage to the communities where they come from,” Garcia said.

Akbayan, which garnered the highest number of votes (2.77 million), intends to form a so-called “reform bloc” in the House of Representatives to champion “urgent and transformative” legislative reforms.

“We thank the Filipino people for their trust and for giving us the opportunity to continue delivering the dedicated service that Akbayan Party-list is known for. We will not let you down,” Akbayan party-list’s incoming Rep. Chel Diokno said.

“Our assignments as Akbayan representatives are clear – first, to establish public demand for justice and accountability and second, to champion reforms that are much needed to alleviate the conditions of our people,” he added.

Diokno has been named a member of the House prosecution panel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Meanwhile, Garcia said representatives of the newly proclaimed party-list groups, organizations and political parties represent 63 seats or 20 percent of the total composition of the House of Representatives. The distribution of seats, Garcia said was based on a formula provided by the Supreme Court.

A total of 41,950,292 votes were cast for the party-list election during the May 12 elections. Groups that obtained two percent of the total votes are guaranteed one seat. The additional seats will also be based on the same figure.

Garcia said party-list groups that failed to win a seat in the past two elections face cancellation of accreditation with the Commission.

Party-list fraud?

According to election watchdog Kontra Daya, about six in every 10 incoming party-list representatives in the 20th Congress do not represent the marginalized and underrepresented sectors of the country.

In a statement, Kontra Daya said 38 of the 63 incoming representatives belong to groups they earlier flagged as having ties to political dynasties, big businesses or military and the police.

These include Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon, whose proclamations were suspended due to pending cases filed before the Comelec.

Kontra Daya said some of the winning party-lists have pending corruption cases, dubious advocacies or limited or no information at all.

“Let us exert public pressure on the 20th Congress to push for the passage of the anti-dynasty law and the amendment to the party-list law to make the latter truly representative of the marginalized and the underrepresented,” Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said.

“The rich and powerful’s hijacking of the party-list system should stop,” he added.

In February, Kontra Daya released a study showing that more than half of the 156 party-lists allowed to run in the midterm elections do not represent the marginalized and underrepresented sectors. — Janvic Mateo, Delon Porcalla