Contractors, political dynasties i-ban, inihain ni Senator Rosa Hontiveros

NAGHAIN sina Senador Risa Hontiveros at Akbayan Party ng panukalang mag-aamyenda sa Party-List System Act.
Layon ng mga ito na bantayan ang pang- aabuso ng political dynasties at contractors.
Sa Senate Bill No. 1656, isinusulong ni Hontiveros na pagbawalan ang political dynasties sa pagsali sa party-list system maging mga party-list nominees at representatives na may interes sa government contracts.
Isang counterpart bill (House Bill No. 7074) ang inihain nina Akbayan Party-list Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña at Dadah Ismula, kasama si Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.
“Kung gusto nilang rumaket, huwag nilang gamitin ang partylist system. This bill aims to reclaim the voice of ordinary Filipinos who’ve been shut out of power because of abusive personalities who are using the partylist system as a backdoor to power. Tama na ang pangha-hijack nila. If they’re not genuinely fighting for the Filipino people, they don’t belong in this system,” ani Hontiveros.
Sinabi ni Diokno na nais ng panukala na maibalik ang tunay na isinusulong ng batas at hindi masamantala ang party-list system.
Ginagarantiya rin na ang marginalized sectors ay may tunay na boses sa Kamara.
Hindi lang isinusulong ng panukala ang pag-ban sa dynasties at contractors kundi ipinagbabawal ang registration ng party-list organizations na naka-pattern sa television o radio programs, government assistance programs, o pangalan ng public officials, celebrities, at iba pang public figures, upang masiguro na nakatuon sa tunay sectoral representation ang sistema.
Isinusulong din sa panukala ang pagtanggal sa 3-seat limit para sa pagkakaroon ng buo, demokratiko, at proportional na representation.
“The limit contradicts the Constitution’s intent to achieve proportionality,” ani Diokno.
Ayon sa ulat ng Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, nasa 66% ng party-lists sa 19th Congress ay may isang nominee mula sa established political dynasty.
Lumitaw din aniya sa ilang ginawang congressional inquiries sa anomalya sa flood control projects na ilang bilang ng party-list representatives ang direktang nakinabang sa government projects bilang contractors.
“Someone who votes on infrastructure budgets while their company bids on those same projects is a scammer. This blatant conflict of interest has no place in a democracy. After decades of abuse and loopholes, the sweeping reforms proposed in these bills hope to hand the reins back to everyday Filipinos,” dagdag ni Hontiveros.
(Vina de Guzman)