MANILA, Philippines - Political families and big business
persons dominate the partylist groups in the House of Representatives,
undermining the law that created it to give representation to the
"marginalized and underrepresented sectors," the poll watchdog Kontra
Daya said on Tuesday.
Kontra Daya criticized the Commission on Elections
(Comelec) for its "questionable" accreditation process that paved the
way for the elite to secure seats in the House through the partylist
route.
“In 2007 and 2010, Comelec accredited these questionable
partylist groups and their nominees despite the fact that these persons
have close ties with political clans, government officials, and big
business interests thus making them unqualified to participate in the
partylist elections,” the group said.
“Comelec cannot wash its hands of the problem. The Comelec
accreditation process is highly questionable. It is no surprise that
partylists for sale are happening because interest groups see that there
is a big chance for moneyed candidates to gain a seat in congress via
the partylist system,” it added.
Kontra Daya said that the poll body still has time to
“clean up its mess” by strictly reviewing the accreditation of partylist
groups who will participate in the 2013 elecitons.
In a separate statement, ACT Teachers partylist
Representative Antonio Tinio should give the public access to records of
partylist groups applying for accreditation.
“The people can help Comelec weed out bogus partylist
groups, but they have to be armed with information which, right now, is
mostly in the hands of Comelec. If these information are hidden from the
public then bogus partylist groups can slip into Congress,” Tinio said.
Kontra Daya said partylist slots should go to deserving and qualified groups as defined in the Partylist System Act.
The law states that “the State shall promote proportional
representation in the election of representatives to the House of
Representatives through a party-list system of registered national,
regional, and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof,
which will enable Filipino citizens belonging to the marginalized and
underrepresented sectors, organizations, and parties, and who lack
well-defined political constituencies but who could contribute to the
formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit
the nation as a whole, to become members of the House of
Representatives.”
The group cited the cases of presidential son and former
Pampanga representative Mikey Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy, businessman
Teodorico Haresco of Ang Kasangga, and Catalina Bagasina, former
Pampanga board members and known Arroyo ally, as “glaring cases of
violations of the spirit of the partylist system.”
The three do not come from the sectors they claim to
present (security guards, workers, small entrepreneurs) and are
financially capable to compete in the regular congressional district
elections. They are also the top three richest partylist representatives
as of 2011, with a combined net worth of P326.7 million, according to
Kontra Daya.
Kontra Daya prepared this table of partylist
representatives with their respective net worth based on their 2011
Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net worth.
PARTYLIST REPRESENTATIVE NETWORTH (as of CY 2011)
1. ALE Catalina Bagasina 133,938,000
2. AGP Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo 99,954,309.00
3. ANG KASANGGA Teodorico Haresco Jr.T. 92,814,808.25
4. AKO BICOL Co, Christopher 91,063,195.68
5. 1-UTAK Mercado, Homer A. 65,014,804.52
6. Senior Citizens Kho, David L. 59,521,695.31
7. AGBIAG Antoinio, Patricio T. 55,641,886.76
8. BUHAY Velarde, Mariano Michael Jr M. 53,326,935.26
9. ALIF Tomawis, Acmad M. 48,530,000.00
10. AGAP Briones, Nicanor M. 46,618,319.00
11. ABS Leonen-Pizarro, Catalina G. 40,375,377.50
12. AKO BICOL Batocabe, Rodel M. 30,237,702.50
13. YACAP Lopez, Carol Jayne B. 29,444,000.00
14. AMBIS/OA Garin, Sharon S. 25,868,194.24
15. AVE Magsaysay, Eulogio "Amang" R. 24,240,000.00
6. AANGAT TAYO Abangon, Daryl Grace J. 23,443,905.76
17. BUHAY Tieng, Irwin C. 20,054,633.38
18. Senior Citizens Arquiza, Godofredo V. 19,985,000.00
19. AN WARAY Montejo, Neil Benedict A. 19,690,000.00
20. Coop-NATCO Ping-ay, Jose K. 19,400,000.00
21. AGHAM Palmones, Angelo B. 17,966,567.60
22. ABONO Ortega, Francisco Emmanuel III R. 17,200,743.36
23. BUTIL Guanlao, Agapito H. 15,691,000.00
24. A-TEACHER Furtona, Juliet R. 15,244,000.00
25. LPGMA Ty, Arnel U. 15,184,112.50
26. A KASOSYO Pangandaman, Nasser C. 14,655,000.00
27. ATING COOP Lico, Isidro Q. 14,114,222.68
28. AN WARAY Florencio, Gabriel "Bem" G. 13,105,000.00
29. ABONO Estrella, Robert Raymund M. 12,597,927.00
30. ALAGAD Marcoleta, Rodante D. 12,200,000.00
31. PBA Sambar, Mark Aeron 11,640,820.00
32. CIBAC Cruz-Gonzales, Cinchona 11,022,340
33. AKO BICOL Garbin, Alfredo Jr A. 9,680,000.00
34. Abante Mindanao Rodriguez, Maximo Jr B. 9,120,000.00
35. DIWA Aglipay, Emmeline Yan 8,900,942.81
36. Bagong Henerasyon Herrera-Dy, Bernadette I. 8,721,997.66
37. 1CARE Rivera, Michael Angelo C. 8,361,506.51
38. 1CARE Cabaluna, Salvador III P. 7,490,000.00
39. APEC Payuyo, Ponciano D. 7,105,095.00
40. Coop-NATCO Paez, Cresente C. 6,553,000.00
41. Unang Pamilya Obillo, Reena Concepcion G. 6,087,424.00
42. ANAD Alcover, Pastor Jr M. 5,450,000.00
43. A-TEACHER Piamonte, Mariano Jr U. 5,113,000.00
44. GABRIELA Ilagan, Luzviminda C. 4,890,184.00
45. AKBAYAN Bello, Walden F. 3,974,400.00
46. CIBAC Tugna, Sherwin N. 3,852,000.00
47. KAKUSA Canonigo, Ranulfo P. 2,647,208.00
48. TUCP Mendoza, Raymond Democrito C. 2,079,515.00
49. GABRIELA De Jesus, Emerenciana A. 1,240,000.00
50. ACT Tinio, Dante Antonio L. 1,161,568
51. AKBAYAN Bag-ao, Kaka J. 1,098,320.30
52. BAYAN MUNA Colmenares, Neri J. 697,701.00
53. KALINGA Feriol, Abigail Faye C. 483,006.30
54. KABATAAN Palatino, Raymond V. 195,000.00
55. BAYAN MUNA Casiño, Teodoro A. 91,000.00
56. ANAKPAWIS Mariano, Rafael V. 46,946.73
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