---

Almost two months before the May polls, election watchdog Kontra Daya says seven out of 10 party-lists aiming for seats in the 19th Congress are “hijacked by the rich and powerful” yesterday, March 3.

In a Facebook post, the group announced that around 70 percent of the party-lists are being used as a “backdoor” by these people in order to strengthen their political and economic interests. 

At least 120 out of 177 party-lists were flagged after having been identified with political clans and big businesses, and with pending court cases and criminal charges, including those involved in the pork barrel scam. 

Read their full statement here: https://tinyurl.com/Kontra-Daya

During the previous party-list elections in 2019, Kontra Daya flagged almost 50% of the running party-lists as elite-controlled. This shows an estimated 20% increase in the influence and seizure of the rich and powerful in the party-list groups. 

Kontra Daya confirmed that in the 177 running party-list groups, 44 were controlled by political clans, at least 21 were aligned with big businesses, and 34 groups had unclear or unknown advocacies and representations.

According to the Party-list Law, the system was made to ensure democratic and fair participation for the marginalized sectors.

Additionally, at least 32 groups had connections with the government or the military; 26 have incumbent local government officials running as party-list nominees, and an estimate of 19 groups had connections with officials who have pending court cases and criminal charges. 

Kontra Daya also noted that some party-list groups were not only identified under one category but in three. Some of the groups flagged thrice are:

ACT-CIS 

ACT-CIS topped the party-list elections in 2019. But the frontrunner group’s first nominee Edvic G. Yap and incumbent representative Rep. Eric Yap were both mentioned in the web of corruption in the Bureau of Customs under the leadership of Nicanor Faeldon in 2017. 

Jocelyn P. Tulfo, wife of senatoriable Raffy Tulfo and another incumbent ACT-CIS party-list representative, is the group’s second nominee. Fourth nominee Erwin T. Tulfo is the brother of former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, who later resigned amid the involvement in the questionable payment of P60M for ad placements on the show of brothers Erwin and Ben in state-controlled People’s Television (PTV-4). 

Wow Pilipinas

The party-list’s first nominee Genevive L. Reyes, vice mayor of Caluya, Antique, was charged with graft and violation of the Coconut Preservation Act in 2018. Peter Paul P. Dy Jr., the second nominee, is involved in many corporations and business operations. He is the national president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, managing director of PLD Construction and Development Inc., president of Mandy Hotmix Inc., and CEO of Power Frame Development Corporation. Dy also sits on the board of directors of MAPS Construction, APSI Asphalt Batching Plant Supply, and Mandaue City Green Building Management. 

4P’s 

4P’s first nominee Marcelino C. Libanan is a former member of the House of Representatives representing Eastern Samar, and immigration commissioner during the Arroyo administration. In April 2004, he was accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Policies Act (RA 3019), after purchasing 2,164 bags of fertilizer which amounted to P3.25M from Akame Marketing International. 

The party-list’s fourth nominee Jonathan Clement Abalos II is the son of Jonathan Abalos, brother of former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Benhur Abalos and campaign manager of the tax evader and dictator’s son Bongbong Marcos Jr.

BHW

Angelica Natasha A. Co, daughter of former Ako Bicol Representative Christopher Co, is the first nominee and incumbent representative of BHW Party-list. The second nominee, Martin Aber E. Sicat is a shareholder of Aremar Construction Corp. He was under investigation after allegedly acquiring a P81.1M bribe as part of bid-rigging schemes. 

IPEACEEPANAW

IPEACEEPANAW, one of the red-tagging mechanisms of the government despite claiming to defend the rights of the indigenous peoples, has Reuben Dasay A. Lingating as its first nominee. He is the former chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous (NCIP) and the head of the Indigenous Peoples Peace Panel in 2017. 

Second nominee Atty. Marlon Bosantog is the former director of the NCIP’s legal affairs and spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). At least a hundred elders and leaders in the Apayao province declared him persona non grata after having red-tagged indigenous peoples’ organizations and leaders as communist fronts. 

Its fourth nominee, Ramcy C. Astroveza, worked as NCIP commissioner while the fifth nominee, Engwan S. Ala declared the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) persona non grata in Surigao del Sur. Ala is the Hawudon Datu and municipal chieftain of an indigenous peoples tribe in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur. 

Duterte Youth 

The second nominee of Duterte Youth, Ralph Raymon T. Preza, is a relative of Tiaong Mayor Ramon Abad Preza and Councilor Amboy Preza. During the 2019 elections, the party-list was consistently condemned for misrepresenting the youth, misusing and abusing government resources, and red-tagging youth organizations such as Kabataan Party-list, the sole youth representative in Congress.

The party also squandered in controversy when their original first nominee Ronald Cardema was controversially substituted by his wife, Ducielle Cardema mid-18th Congress.

MOCHA, Abante Sambayanan, and Malasakit Movement

Both of these party-lists are known for engaging in red-tagging and whose nominees are identified with the NTF-ELCAC. The first nominee of MOCHA is Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson and the second nominee is Michele Gumabao; both are not mothers. 

 Meanwhile, Abante Sambayanan’s first nominee is Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, an agent of NTF-ELCAC. Other nominees are former communist rebels who are now red-tagging their former comrades.

Malasakit Movement’s first nominee is former MMDA Asec. and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Celine Pialago.

“INVESTIGATE THE SYSTEM”

Kontra Daya calls for the aid of journalists and fact-checkers to investigate further if the government is funding any party-list group. Allegations claim that Abante Sambayanan, MOCHA, and Malasakit are “NTF-ELCAC party-lists.”

The 2001 disqualification of Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga (MAD) for lack of representation serves as an example. MAD was discovered to be a medium for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to combat the prevalent use of illegal drugs. 

“[COMELEC] should explain why it continues to allow dubious groups to hijack the party-list system, depriving marginalized groups from having a voice at the House of Representatives,” said Kontra Daya in a press statement.

For this election cycle, 270 party-list groups applied to participate but 93 were rejected. The supposed 165 groups became 177 after 12 rejected party-list groups secured a restraining order from the Supreme Court, forcing COMELEC to include them in the ballots.

Makabayan bloc, a coalition of party-lists for the marginalized, has been campaigning for electoral reforms to remove political dynasties and ensure democratic participation in the government. 

Composed of Gabriela, Kabataan, ACT-Teachers, Anakpawis, and BAYAN MUNA, the bloc continues to champion genuine representation of their respective sectors amid the widespread misrepresentation in the country’s party-list system.

#AbolishNTFELCAC
#MakabayangPagbabago

Featured image courtesy of COMELEC