Gaming the Party-List System

CMFR file photo

CHEERS TO Rappler.com for running a story that examined the party-list groups and their nominees for congressional positions.

In “2016 party-list nominees: Taking a ‘shortcut’ to Congress?” posted on March 13, Rappler’s Michael Bueza writes that “reelectionists, political dynasts, former congressmen and government officials, and legitimate members of marginalized sectors” make up the party-list nominees in the upcoming polls.  It points out that “some individuals and groups – mostly from political dynasties – have taken advantage of a ‘loophole’ which allows them to treat the party list as a ‘shortcut’ to Congress.”

The piece contains several lists of outgoing party-list representatives who are seeking to be replaced by relatives as well as nominees who are relatives of current and former legislators.

It also has a list of each group’s nominees with a note on who are running for reelection as well as other positions held in other organizations. It also notes former government officials who are vying for party-list seats and former party-list representatives who are nominees again.

The report also includes the names of former district representatives who are now party-list nominees and prominent personalities who are running as nominees of these groups.

The piece closes with a brief discussion on the party-list election.

In February, CMFR cheered efforts of ABS-CBN’s Gigi Grande in reporting party-list performance (“Reviewing Party-list performance,” Feb. 19). The election monitor “Candidates for senate and party-list: Hardly noticed” on March 3 noted that both print and broadcast media focused more on the presidential and vice presidential candidates, and gave only scant coverage of the Senate and the Party-list candidates.

Well-researched, this Rappler piece addresses that gap.