EDITORIAL - Anything but marginalized

One day soon someone will have to clarify if the Constitution meant to have individuals who are anything but marginalized represent supposedly marginalized sectors through the party-list system. If this was the intent of the framers of the Constitution, then they simply meant to provide wealthy, seasoned politicians, children and spouses of wealthy politicians, and retired Cabinet members a back-door entrance to the House of Representatives, with taxpayers picking up the exorbitant tab.

This travesty will be emphasized if Congressman Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, who is giving up his seat in the House of Representatives so his mother the President can take over, continues to serve in the 15th Congress, this time as the nominee of a party-list group called the Ang Galing Party, whose advocacy is unclear. The group’s other nominee: outgoing Lubao town Mayor Dennis Pineda, from the district where President Arroyo is seeking a House seat.

Another party-list nominee, this time of a transport group called the 1-UTAK, for United Transport Koalisyon, is Angelo Reyes, the current secretary of energy who has never been confirmed for the post by the Commission on Appointments. The revelation of Reyes’ nomination has raised the hackles of an older group that represents genuine drivers and operators of public utility vehicles: Piston, or the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operey-tor Nationwide.

The new party-list groups that are sprouting for the May elections, like poisonous mushrooms after a typhoon, have something in common, and it’s not representation for any marginalized sector: almost all start with the letter A or the number 1, so they can be at the top of the list in the ballot among a slew of groups seeking to send their nominees to Congress.

These groups cannot be entirely blamed, since they are simply inspired by the success of others before them: groups that are nothing but fronts for major political parties, religious groups, and sectors that are anything but marginalized. Now that even the President’s son and loyal Cabinet member have jumped in, the travesty is complete.