The selection of retired Cebuano boxer Z Gorres as third nominee of the party-list group Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta underscores in no uncertain terms the great travesty the party-list system has become.
With all due respect to Gorres and without meaning to undermine his rights as a citizen, there are other ways he can continue leading a productive life and do his share of civic duties without having to become a congressman in representation of retired or incapacitated athletes.
On the other hand, there are other ways for Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta to pursue an agenda of looking after the welfare of retired and incapacitated athletes without having to let retired or incapacitated athletes do the actual legislation in pursuit of such agenda.
An active and able-bodied athlete can very well pursue such agenda. An athlete does not have to be retired or incapacitated to know and recognize their needs. Anyone in the sporting profession is expected to have a fairly good idea of what the end game is.
Pursuing this tack of selecting Gorres as a nominee of the party-list group only gives rise to the suspicion that it is exploiting the misfortunes of Gorres to pursue its real agenda -- which is to win as many seats as possible.
Gorres was in the prime of his career win he suffered a head injury that brought to a crashing halt his dreams of a better life for him and his family. If there is a way to legislate an escape for Gorres and others like him from misery, it is not up for Gorres to do it.
What this particular party-list should do, if it is truly sincere in pursuing its avowed advocacy of looking after the welfare of athletes, is to find athletes with a marked ability to pursue a legislative agenda and choose them as their nominees.
Again, this is not to put down Gorres, but his way out and those of others like him is in the hands of other truly suited and qualified representatives. The task should not be left in the hands of those who, instead of being truly helped, are being used and exploited for politics.