Trimming the (party) list

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The Commission on Elections is reporting that more groups without any track record as sectoral representatives are seeking accreditation to participate in the party-list elections in the 2010 national polls.  Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento says that of the 85 organizations that have filed their applications before the poll body, seeking party-list accreditation, several lack the most important consideration to qualify as a party-list group: a track record.

According to Sarmiento, a track record refers to the profile of the organization in pushing for the advocacy of a certain marginalized sector they are supposed to be representing and, from the looks of it, several party-list applicants appeared to have been hastily formed, having neither regional constituencies nor offices.  There are also several redundant party-list groups with similar advocacies.

The Comelec has announced plans to cut down the number of party list groups vying for seats in the House of Representatives for the 2010 polls.  One of the reasons being given by the poll body for the trimming of the list is that too many party-list groups cannot fit in the computerized ballots for the automated polls.  However, it must be emphasized that despite the shallow excuse being given for trimming the list of applicants, the Comelec must take the task of trimming the party-list system seriously, as experience has shown that this particular loophole is prone to abuse because it provides a relatively easy way to get into Congress.

The original intent of the party-list system was to give the marginalized sectors of society an opportunity to be represented in Congress.  For now, the only ones who can ensure that unscrupulous groups do not exploit this system are the people at Comelec who are responsible for screening and approving the applications.  May they always keep the original intent of the law and the interest of the nation in mind as they go about this particular task.*