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The exploited party list

The party-list system in the Philippines, originally intended to represent marginalized sectors, has become a mockery of its original purpose.

While the Constitution envisioned seats for labor, peasants, and women, the 1995 Party-List System Act (RA 7491) failed to prioritize marginalized representation. The Supreme Court 2013 ruling, citing RA 7491, further worsened the situation by allowing any group and any nominee to seek a party-list seat, regardless of their connection to marginalized sectors. This has led to the election of former presidents’ son via the party list, where he claimed to represent security guards. Now, every other politician who has either reached their term limit or lost an election can very easily take the party list route, blatantly eroding the system’s original intentions.

The increase in congressional districts and party-list seats due to gerrymandering has unfortunately benefited the politicians more than the Filipino people, and has not resulted in improved public services, but rather stagnation in economic and human development.

The party-list system needs to be amended or repealed to align with the constitutional intent of representing marginalized sectors. However, given that the responsibility for that lies with those who are currently in power due to the loopholes and the weakness of the law, the likelihood of such an amendment is slim, mirroring the difficulty in passing legislation to regulate political dynasties.

The party-list system, like many aspects of Philippine elections, has become a farce, highlighting the need for comprehensive reform to ensure fair and meaningful representation. The question is, are the people who have the power to push those reforms willing to sacrifice their own personal interests for that of the common good?*

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February 2025
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