“Loopholes in party-list law” Babae Ka blames Akbayan’s inaction

Press Release
By BABAE KA
April 17, 2007

MAKATI CITY, Philippines  –  Women’s party-list group Babae para sa Kaunlaran (BABAE KA) today lambasted the Citizen’s Action Party (Akbayan) for its failure to push for “pro-people and pro-poor” amendments to the party-list system law.

Sally Dagami, Babae Ka chairperson and a Waray, said that, “This self-proclaimed cause-oriented group did not even bother to introduce a bill amending the party-list law because it is benefiting from the loopholes in the law.”

Babae Ka also chided Akbayan for failing to author a legislation that would oblige party-list groups to reveal their nominees publicly.

“Anim na taon na sila sa Kongreso. Nitong nakaraang tatlong taon ay tatlo pa ang kanilang kinatawan pero kahit isang batas ay walang naipasa ang grupong ito. Ngayon sila daldal ng daldal samantalang noong may sesyon ang Kongreso ay hindi sila nagpasa ng batas na magtatakda sa paglabas ng pangalan ng mga nominado,” Dagami said.

“Sa loob ng tatlong taon, yung isang kinatawan nila ay pitong panukalang batas lang ang nagawa. Yung isa naman ay labing-tatlo, at yung isa dalawampu’t siyam nga pero puro kinopya lang naman sa mga panukala ng ibang mambabatas,” Dagami added.

The Commission on Elections last week said that the party-list system is “vague and flawed” and it should be amended.

Commissioner Rene Sarmiento lamented that the poll body is “taking all the punches” in its decision not to make public the list of nominees when it is simply enforcing the law.

“The law is flawed. It should be re-examined because it is vague. I believe Congress should pass a new law or amend the existing one to spell out the nuances of the party-list law,” Sarmiento said.

Sarmiento said Republic Act 7941, otherwise known as the Party-list System Act, only requires nominees to “represent” and not necessarily to “belong” to the marginalized sector that they claim to represent.

“What exactly does ‘to represent’ mean?” Sarmiento asked. “It could mean that being an advocate is already enough. Another could argue that the nominee should be marginalized himself, poor or financially distressed.”

Under Section 9 of RA 7941, the only requirements set for nominees are the following: must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines; a registered voter; a resident of the Philippines for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election; able to read and write; a bona fide member of the party or organization which he seeks to represent; and at least 25 years of age on the day of the election.