Labor group in favor of amending Partylist System Act

Luke Espiritu (standing with microphone), president of Buklurang Manggagawang Pilipino (Photo from the Facebook page of BMP)

The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) is in favor of amending the Partylist System Act, or Republic Act No. 7941, saying that, as it stands, the law discriminates against representatives of marginalized sectors who want to run in elections.

BMP President Luke Espiritu echoed on Saturday the proposal of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon for measures to be adopted to prevent political clans from dominating positions in Congress which should belong to underrepresented and marginalized sectors of the country.

“Incumbent officials are doing everything in their power to stifle the electoral process by discriminating against the marginalized sectors who seek societal change via the elections,” Espiritu said in a statement. “Waged and salaried workers account for almost 43 million of our population and yet we are the least represented in Congress.”

Earlier, Guanzon said traditional politicians had been taking advantage of the party-list law to get their relatives elected to Congress.

READ: Comelec exec backs amendment of Party-list System Act

Espiritu then lamented that the law on party-lists must be amended because it would be difficult to implement democracy through an electoral process.

“This is precisely the reason why we seek change by vying for a seat in Congress because discrimination and injustice has been molded and structured in our laws, making it impossible for democracy to work,” Espiritu said.

Espiritu also criticized Senate Bill No. 911 authored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, which penalizes nuisance candidates, saying it was a “mockery of democracy.”

“Penalizing poor candidates will further breed marginalization and social injustice. SB 911 is not only a mockery of the elections but a mockery of democracy as well,” he said.

Espiritu also advised Gatchalian to file a bill that would punish candidates who have criminal charges.

“Plunderers, human rights violators, protectors of criminal syndicates, those who tolerate impunity and the like are the ones that should be prohibited from running. They are the ones who mock the entire legal system even if their day jobs are legislators,” he suggested.

Under the bill, a fine of P50,000 will be imposed any person who had filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) only to put the election process in “mockery or disrepute; cause confusion among voters by similarity of the names of the registered candidates; obtain money, profit or any other consideration; or under any other circumstances or acts clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for office.”

Gatchalian noted the nuisance candidates during the 2019 elections who present themselves with different identities such as Jesus Christ and the former lovers of Kris Aquino and Mocha Uson.

Gatchalian reiterated that only those deemed by Comelec as nuisance candidates would be punished. /atm

READ: Punish nuisance candidates now – Gatchalian