MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has formed a committee to review Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list System Act, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes told Radyo Inquirer 990AM Friday.
“We need amendments of the law itself [but] I don’t think we will be able to amend it now,” Brillantes said.
“We now have a review group to attend to that (Party-list System Act) after 2013 in preparation for 2016,” he said. “Kahit isang legacy lang may maiwan ako.”
Currently, there are 184 party-list groups and 172 applicants. Under the Party-list System Act, only 12 marginalized and underrepresented sectors can seek congressional representation: Labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers and professionals.
However, Brillantes said applicants now even include groups of senior citizens, retirees, anti-drug, anti-crime, former drug addicts and even school dropouts.
“They are not one of the 12,” he said.
Comelec is currently at the final stage of screening the party-list applicants, Brillantes said, adding it is expected to be finished by end of October.