House bill seeks to ban wealthy people from seeking party-list seat

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares wants wealthy individuals barred from vying for party-list seats in the House of Representatives.

Colmenares is pushing for the passage of House Bill 4464 which seeks to amend Republic Act 7941 or the Partylist System Act and “ensure that the party-list system is reserved for the marginalized and underrepresented.”

The bill is now pending action in the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms for which Colmenares is vice-chairman.

He authored the proposed measure along with other party-list lawmakers Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casino, Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano, Gabriela Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerenciana de Jesus, ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino.

If passed, the measure will tighten the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) screenings on party-lists and its nominees.

Nominees found to be earning equal to or more than lawmakers’ annual salaries worth P1.5 million will be disqualified from the elections just like those who previously served the country as president, vice president, senator, lawmaker, as well as politicians’ relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity. Karen Boncocan