Political clans start to dominate party-list groups

As the passage of an antipolitical dynasty law remains doubtful, political clans try to strengthen their influence by seeking seats in Congress through the party-list system.

Members of dominant political families, including former officials and those on their third terms, are among politicians running as nominees of party-list groups, according to the election watchdog Kontra Daya.

In Iloilo province, members of the Tupas, Garin and Biron families, who are supporting Liberal Party national candidates, are among party-list nominees or officials.

Former Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico, a member of the Tupas clan, is the first nominee of Abyan Ilonggo (AI). Suplico also served as vice governor of Iloilo.

His cousin Iloilo Rep. Niel “Junjun” Tupas Jr. is running for vice governor while Raul, Niel’s younger brother and incumbent vice governor, seeks to replace his older brother as representative of Iloilo’s fifth congressional district.

Raul is running against Niel’s wife, Yvonne Angeli Lee-Tupas.

AI is chaired by former Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, who wants to reclaim his old seat as representative of the province’s fourth congressional district.

Ferjenel’s mother Diana, former mayor of Barotac Nuevo town, is AI’s second nominee. His father Hernan Biron is serving his third and last term as Barotac Nuevo mayor.

Ferjenel’s son Braeden John is seeking to replace his grandfather. Another son of Ferjenel, Bryant Paul, is running for a seat in the provincial board.

Rep. Sharon Garin, a scion of the Garin family of Iloilo, is seeking to keep her congressional seat as first nominee of Aambis-Owa.

Sharon is the younger sister of Iloilo Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. and sister-in-law of Health Secretary Janette Garin.

Garin’s sister Christine, mayor of Guimbal, is running for the vice governorship of Iloilo. Oscar, the Garins’ father and former Iloilo representative, is running for mayor of Guimbal while mother Nimfa, incumbent provincial board member, is running for mayor of San Joaquin.

Aambis-Owa’s second nominee is former Negros Oriental Vice Gov. Apolinario Arnaiz Jr.  He is a brother of Negros Oriental Rep. George Arnaiz and Pamplona Mayor Apollo Arnaiz, according to Kontra Daya.

Members of political families in Aklan province are among the nominees of Ang Kasangga party-list group.

The first nominee is Aklan Vice Gov. Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo, who is on her third and last term. Her husband Reynaldo Quimpo is seeking to replace her as vice governor.

The second nominee is former Transportation Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla while the fifth nominee is Jose Ciceron Lorenzo Haresco, son of Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco, a former Ang Kasangga representative.

“The party-list system is no longer for the marginalized and underrepresented. Over the years, it has been dominated by the rich and the powerful,” Kontra Daya says in a statement.

The group says this is also due to a Supreme Court ruling that allows the nomination of candidates who do not belong to the marginalized and underrepresented sector that the party-list group claims to represent.

Kontra Daya mentions Abono party-list, which it alleges has long been linked to the Estrella clan in Pangasinan province and the Ortega family in La Union province.

“More and more, we see party-list nominations being passed on to or inherited by a member of the same family, no different from the practice of dynasties in other elective positions. This goes against the spirit of the party-list system, which is supposed to be for the representation of marginalized and underrepresented sectors and not representation of the interests of one family or clan,” Kontra Daya says.