Give up electoral bid, government partylists told
The Kabataan Partylist today called on government-sponsored partylist groups Agbiag, Babae Ka, LYPAD and Kalahi to give up their electoral bid out of delicadeza.
“These groups should at least have the decency to drop out of the partylist race and let genuine and independent partylist groups contend for representation in Congress,” Kabataan Partylist President Raymond Palatino said.
“If they still have some degree of self-respect left, they should no longer wait for a disqualification from the Commission on Elections to withdraw from the elections,” he added.
Palatino said this new development in the partylist elections should compel COMELEC to seriously look into the matter and seek the immediate disqualification of these pseudo-partylist organizations.
“If COMELEC is really serious in ensuring the credibility of the upcoming polls, it should immediately declare these OEA-initiated partylist groups ineligible.”
He said COMELEC’s failure to act on this matter is tantamount to being the Arroyo government’s unwilling accomplice in bastardizing the partylist elections.
“COMELEC has not yet recovered from the serious blows on credibility that it suffered from allegations of massive electoral fraud in the last elections. This new allegation of irregularities in the partylist elections could further erode the remaining confidence of the electorate on COMELEC and on the electoral system.”
Palatino added that COMELEC should also investigate other partylist groups that are being associated with Armed Forces of the Philippines and local political dynasties that are allied with the administration.
“Malacanang apparently is not the only one fielding or funding partylist groups in this elections. Local politicians or local warlords have also established bogus partylist organizations.”
Palatino added that some established political dynasties have already penetrated the partylist system by forming partylist groups in order to get more pork barrel funds for personal enrichment.
“Instead of empowering the poor, the partylist system is now being used by traditional politicians to extend their sphere of influence.”
He added that legitimate party-list groups are “virtually defenseless” against this blatant form of intrusion on the part of the government.
“This is not just a ‘bastardization’ of the partylist system. It’s a clear case of injustice and disenfranchisement and an insult to those whose interests and voices remain unrepresented in Congress.”
“In the process, genuine partylist groups are the ones being “marginalized” in a system supposedly created to give representation to marginalized segments of our society.”