Until it is corrected, the twisted implementation of the Party-List system will remain a laughingstock because it benefits the wealthy instead of the poor and marginalized Filipinos.
Senator Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla emphasized this yesterday, August 7, at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation chaired by Senator Imee Marcos.
Even wealthy contractors now have their own party lists, he pointed out.
"Karamihan sa ating mga party list ay kilalang mga contractors.(Contractors are behind many of our party lists... Ito ay isang bagay na pagyurak sa Republic Act 7941.This is a mockery of RA 7941. Siguro magsama-sama na lang ang contractor gumawa sila ng isang party list, hindi ang bawa’t isa meron silang party list (If the contractors want, they should just band together and form one party list instead of having their own party lists)," he said.
"Itong ganitong sitwasyon, kapag hindi natin hinarap, magiging katawa-tawa tayo sa 80% ng Pilipino sa ating bayan sapagka’t itong RA 7941 na ito ang nire-represent po nito ay 80% ng Pilipino na hirap na hirap sa kanilang buhay. Hindi ko po maintindihan kung bakit ang 20% pa ng ating mga kababayan na talagang mayayaman namin ay kailangan pang makinabang dito sa party list system (Unless we face and address this situation, we will remain a laughingstock for 80 percent of Filipinos because the law allows representation for 80 percent of Filipinos who are marginalized. I cannot understand why only 20 percent of Filipinos who are wealthy are the ones benefiting from the system)," he added.
Padilla said he is sad that the goals of RA 7941 are not being met such that laborers, fishermen, farmers, women, urban poor, youths, cultural minorities, overseas Filipino workers, veterans, professionals, persons with disabilities, and the elderly remain marginalized.
He lamented the marginalized still do not have a voice because the party list system is twisted.
"Nakalulungkot po sapagka’t parang hindi ko nakikita ito. Ang atin pong mangingisda, manggagawa at magsasaka, nandoon pa rin sa kalagayan na hindi pa rin sila napapakinggan na dapat napapakinggan na sapagka’t merong RA 7941 (It is sad because farmers, fishermen and other marginalized sectors are still not heard)," he said.