EDITORIAL - Farce

Someone should put the brakes on the race for party-list representation before the system defeats its intended purpose and turns into a farce. Questions have long been raised about the propriety, if not the legality, of well-heeled individuals, politicians, nominees of religious groups, and personalities such as retired military general Jovito Palparan becoming members of the House of Representatives through the party-list system. Which marginalized groups are they supposed to represent?

There is a prohibition on the accreditation of groups for party-list representation if they are found to be financed by the government, religious groups or major political parties. Yet the mechanism for ferreting out such groups is weak, and following the money trail is as complicated as trying to keep track of campaign financing.

Now there is a mad scramble for party-list accreditation, with about 200 groups so far claiming to represent marginalized sectors. One group wants to represent children; aren’t there enough congressional panels working on the concerns of women and children? Another group wants representation for the cockfighting sector. What next — representation for jueteng and sakla workers?

The scramble for party-list representation again raises the question of why so many people want to work as a lawmaker. A congressman’s work is not easy, at least if the congressman puts in real work. Legislation requires above-average knowledge of the law, the patience to sit through boring sessions, a lot of reading and a slew of paperwork. Congress must also exercise oversight over the executive branch. For the required amount of work, the pay is modest.

Yet family dynasties are perpetuated and people commit murder for a seat in Congress. Obviously the not-so-hidden perks far outweigh the required amount of work. Aspiring party-list representatives have surely heard about the multimillion-peso pork barrel allocations for every congressman, the lobby money, the half a million in cash crudely stuffed in brown paper bags, the special “8” plates and bodyguards, plus a chance to be on prime time news, even if for the wrong reasons.

The party-list system offers an easy route to those perks. Major political parties have also learned to use the system to increase their voting power in the House. The Commission on Elections, the Supreme Court – someone should end this madness and make the party-list system work for the truly marginalized.