Independent presidential candidate Panfilo M. Lacson on Wednesday, April 6 criticized the exploitation of the country’s party list system, saying the rich use it to lobby for their interests in Congress.
Lacson issued the statement after President Duterte himself said that the next generation of elected officials should change the Constitution to end the abuse of the party list system.
Duterte spoke at the inauguration of an evacuation center in Mataasnakahoy, Batangas where he lamented the state of the party list system in the country.
‘’It clearly shows how grounded PRRD (President Duterte) is. He knows exactly how the party list system has been abused over time,’’ Lacson said.
‘’From the original intent of giving the marginalized sector representation in the legislature, it has now evolved into something else. Billionaires dominate the party list representation which has effectively defeated the intent of the law,’ ’he added.
Duterte pointed out that the party list system provided in the 1987 Constitution was conceived to be a mechanism to give the Filipino – the lowly Filipino on the streets– a voice or voices to be heard in the platform at the halls of Congress.
This did not happen, he lamented.
Duterte had complained about the communists “infiltrating” Congress through the party list system.
He recently appeared to slam political dynasties although he himself is the patriarch of a political dynasty that has gained a foothold in Davao City.