MANILA, Philippines — Election watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) has thrown its support behind proposed party-list reform measures in Congress, saying the system intended to empower marginalized sectors has instead been captured by political dynasties, wealthy elites, and vested interests.
For more than four decades, NAMFREL said it has witnessed how the seats intended for farmers, fisherfolk, laborers, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and the urban poor and other marginalized se tors have often been occupied by individuals linked to political dynasties, government contracts, and wealthy families.
"This long-standing distortion must end," it added as it expressed its support to House Bill (HB) 9906 and Senate Bill (SB) 2090 as a significant step toward restoring the integrity of the party-list system.
The group expressed belief that both proposed measures contained the needed reform reforms that would strengthen representation for marginalized sectors before the next election cycle.
HB 9906, filed by House Speaker Faustino Dy III and identified as a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority measure, seeks to reorganize the party-list system into Sectoral, Advocacy, and Regional categories.
The House measure also proposes disqualifying nominees connected to political dynasties, government contractors, incumbent public officials, and former defeated candidates.
Meanwhile, SB 2090, authored by a bipartisan group of senators including Vicente Sotto III, Ronald dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros, Loren Legarda, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan and Robin Padilla, reserves half of all party-list seats for traditionally marginalized sectors.
The Senate proposal also requires nominees to genuinely belong to and represent the sectors they claim to serve.
NAMFREL stressed that the two measures are complementary rather than conflicting and urged the Bicameral Conference Committee to merge them into a stronger, unified reform law.
Among its recommendations, the watchdog called for expanding the proposed anti-dynasty provision to cover relatives of all incumbent elected officials, not just members of Congress.
