Undermining the party list system.
The right to vote and the right to run for office are innate rights allowed to every citizen in the constitution of any democratic nation.
In this country, these democratic rights are vulnerable to the maligned schemes of the state, which as the most corrupt country in Asia, is flanked by elected officials majority of whom acquired political power through the three G's: guns, goons and gold – and all of which were done through the systematic thievery from the nation's coffers.
An apt illustration of this is the recently exposed Malacanang memo which leaked the Arroyo-clique's funding of pro-administration party lists in the 2007 elections, in the aim of frustrating progressive party lists' victory.
This is another glaring proof that the highest branch of government is involved in an act that mocks and undermines the party list system and the electoral system as a whole.This, hence, deserves a thorough investigation and just retribution. Bogus partylists so named in the Malacanang memo must be disqualified by the COMELEC and the Malacanang should answer for the consequences.
Although the party list system may seem as a mere loose change or a mere token that the ruling elite has spared for the dis-empowered sectors, this system has allowed genuine peoples' organizations in advancing the rights of the people in the halls of legislation.
These few party list groups have indeed carried the peoples' voice on anti-people issues such as the e-vat, unjust wage, 2004 electoral fraud, dubious contracts with foreign investors and state-endorsed policies that violate human rights in congress.
Thus, this act by the Malacanang aims to deprive the true marginalized sectors genuine representation in congress. So vigilance on the peoples' end must not falter; for we should not allow more puppets of the office of the president, of the military, of business tycoons, or of warlords to be added to the majority of lower house representatives who milk public office of pork barrel funds and use their political positions to enact laws that undermine the welfare of the people.
Zaynab Ampatuan
Secretary General
SUARA BANGSAMORO PARTYLIST
Davao City
suarabangsamoro@gmail.com
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