Party-list groups eye additional Congress seats

The Supreme Court will hear today the oral arguments on additional seats for the party-list groups that won in the 2007 mid-term elections.

The Party List Caucus reiterated its stand that the SC consider the petition for additional party-list representatives because of the need to have more representation coming from the  margin­alized sectors of society.

This  includes groups such as Coop-Natcco, Butil, APEC, A-Techer, and AGAP.

Members of the caucus are pushing for this initiative as they feel that marginalized groups should now be ably represented to empower the poor and address major issues affecting the country.

Rep. Gil Cua of Coop-Natcco said that for the longest time, full representation has been denied to party-list representatives in Congress.

He said the law mandates that up to 20 percent of the total number  of representatives must come from party-list groups. This means that  congress should have 55 party-list representatives.

Butil  Rep. Leonila Chavez  said that the various summits called by Malacanang to address burning “peoples issues” such as rice and energy are not substitutes to mandated initiatives like having more party-list representatives to really define problems and  solutions based on the poor’s point of view.

She called on the SC to act in the highest spirit of judicial statesmanship and help  establish a vibrant party-list component to Congress.

APEC’s Edgar Valdez said that moves for the  removal of  the 12 percent VAT on power and petroleum will have more solid grounds once this pro poor measure is supported by additional party-list representatives.

Mariano Piamonte of A-Teacher said he sees bigger budgets for education once party-list groups become a major block in the lower house.

Nicanor Briones of AGAP wants stronger rules against smuggling in the agricultural sector, among which are in poultry and piggery.