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Purge list of undeserving party-list nominees – Binay

04/22/2010

“Now that you have decided on the party-list groups, decide on the nominees,” United Opposition (UNO) vice presidential bet Jejomar Binay asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after it decided to disqualify 32 party- list groups that are still on the ballots.

Binay said since several party-list groups whose nominees are linked to the Arroyo administration are still included in the ballot, the poll body should rule on the qualifications of their nominees.

Among these groups are 1-UTAK, and Ang Galing Pinoy, a transport group and multi-sectoral group for security guards and tricycle drivers, respectively. The two party-list organizations will be represented by their first nominees, former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and presidential son and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Mikey Arroyo.

Based on the Comelec resolution, the disqualified party-list groups were taken out of the race because they “failed to show a track record of who their constituencies are. Some of them failed to prove that they were representing a marginalized sector.”

“If this can be said for party-list groups, the same can also be said for its nominees. The nominees should have proven that they are qualified to push legislation that will benefit the marginalized sector that they are supporting and have a track record of supporting advocacies of these parties,” he said.

“The question here is whether Reyes and Arroyo accepted the role of nominees because they were genuinely seeking to represent the party-list groups they have affiliated with or because they just want to beef up the numbers of Arroyo allies in Congress to revive her bid for Charter change,” he said.

“But the track record of Reyes and Arroyo shows no advocacy or affinity with their groups. In fact, in the case of Reyes, he even acted against the interest of tricycle drivers on several occasions,” he added.

Binay said the party-list system was included in the 1986 Constitution to include a mechanism to empower marginalized sectors to make their voices heard in crafting legislations that will uplift their plight. However, since the system was implemented, it has become an opportunity for traditional politicians to amass power in the guise of advancing the cause of the marginalized sector.

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