Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Sarah Elago has renewed calls to reform the country’s party-list system, warning that the electoral mechanism has drifted away from its original constitutional objective of providing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented sectors in the House of Representatives.
Speaking before the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Elago presented House Bill No. 6193, also titled the “Genuine Party-list Group and Nominee Act.” The proposed legislation aims to institute stricter qualification criteria for both participating party-list organizations and their nominated representatives.
Elago pointed out that the legislative proposal is an ongoing initiative originally introduced by the Bayan Muna Party-list in the 12th Congress and consistently refiled by the progressive Makabayan bloc in succeeding congressional sessions.
“The Gabriela Women’s Party is here as the principal author of House Bill No. 6193 or the Genuine Party-list and Nominee Act. This is not a new proposal from our representation. It was first filed during the 12th Congress by Bayan Muna Party-list, and it has been refiled by the Makabayan bloc in every Congress,” Elago said.
The lawmaker emphasized that while the party-list framework was intended to guarantee proportional representation for national, regional, and sectoral interest groups, political dynasties and major corporate entities have increasingly captured these seats.
“Unti-unti nang nalalayo sa orihinal na napakagandang layunin ang Party-list System Act. Ilang pamilya na nga lang ang nagdodomina sa pambansa at lokal na mga posisyon, pati ba naman sa party-list seats, inaagaw pa sa mga pangkaraniwang mamamayan at batayang sektor,” Elago said.
Elago also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, questioning whether individuals tied to massive business conglomerates can genuinely advocate for the rights of marginalized communities and regular consumers.
“Paano natin lubusan na maisusulong ang mga karapatan ng consumers kung ang mga nakaupo ay may-ari din ng mga dambuhalang korporasyon? Paano tunay na aangat ang buhay ng mga maralita kung ang nakikinabang sa kanilang gutom at kawalan ng tirahan ay mismong mga nakaupo sa espasyong dapat naman ay nakareserba para sa kanila?” she said.
To address these concerns, HB 6193 seeks to establish higher standards for party-list registration while disqualifying key demographics—including members of political dynasties, government contractors, and incumbent public officials holding other government positions—from serving as nominees.
“Dapat ma-disqualify bilang nominees ang mga galing sa political dynasties, mga contractors, mga kasalukuyang nakaupo sa ibang posisyon sa ating pamahalaan,” Elago said.
To underscore the constitutional foundation of the proposal, Elago cited the opinion written by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes in the landmark case Paglaum v. Commission on Elections, which highlighted the fundamental link between the party-list system and constitutional social justice guarantees.
“Far from being merely an electoral reform, the party-list system is one concrete expression of the primacy of social justice in the Constitution,” she quoted.