Reviewing Party-list Performance

CHEERS TO ABS-CBNnews.com and ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol for its effort to evaluate the performance of the 2013 elected party-list representatives in the 16th Congress.

On February 12, ABS-CBNNews.com published Gigi Grande’s story “Report Card: Would you vote for these party-list groups again?” Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, was interviewed in the report and said that gauging the performance of the party-list groups requires looking at the bills their representative filed and if they directly benefited the sector they represent.

According to the report, eight party-list group representatives filed less than five bills throughout their three-year term. These representatives include:

• Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III (Abono Partylist) who did not file la single bill;
• Jose Panganiban Jr. (ANAC-IP) who co-authored one bill;
• Joseph Stephen Padauano (Abang Lingkod) who authored only one bill;
• Patricio Anotonio (AGBIAG) who authored one bill and co-authored four;
• Arnel Ty (LPGMA) who authored one bill and co-authored six;
• Condrado Estrella III (Abono) who authored two bills and co-authored two;
• Neil Benedict Montejo (An Waray) who authored two bills and co-authored four; and
• Pablo Roces Nava III (APPEND) who authored four bills and co-authored six.

The report  identified the top performing party-list representatives who were principal authors of more than 15 bills and who were present for 23 days and above out of 34 days:

• Francisco Ashley Acedillo (Magdalo);
• Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers);
• Neri Colmenares (Bayan Muna);
• Cresente Paez (COOP-NATCCO);
• Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-OWA);
• Ibarra Gutierez III (Akbayan); and
• Delphine Lee (Agri).

The infographic on party-list representatives who delivered appears on the mobile version of the report. It was initially also seen in the desktop version. The story also included the bills waiting for the president’s signature.

On the same day, ABS-CBN 2’s primetime newscast TV Patrol ran “Party-list sa Kongreso: Para kanino?” (Party-lists in the Congress: For whom?). The report discussed the creation of the party-list system. Looking at studies by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center and data from Congress.gov.ph, the report said that 30 percent of current party-list representatives belong to political dynasties. Edna Co, professor at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance, said in the report that the party-list system is slowly being used to further strengthen the power of political families.