EDITORIAL - The Comelec and the partylist system

Sometimes it is hard to make heads or tails of the Comelec. Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes recently said the poll body may soon scrutinize the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of partylist representatives.

But no sooner did he say that than on the same breath he added it is not the Comelec’s main concern and therefore looking into the partylist representatives’ SALNs was not a priority undertaking.

Why on earth would Brillantes announce looking into the partylist SALNs if it was not an undertaking to be made soon? Was the announcement intended to forewarn partylist congressmen? On the other hand, why announce it at all when the Comelec has nothing to do with the SALN?

Now you know why it is difficult to make heads or tails of the Comelec. But if you are still not convinced about the discombobulated way of thinking up there in the sacrosanct offices of the Comelec head offices, give a listen to Brillantes continue.

According to Brillantes, the main concern of the Comelec is to determine if partylist congressmen truly represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors, which is the criteria to be followed in determining partylist representation.

Nothing wrong with that, except that it seems a little too late to be doing some sleuthing after the fact. Couldn’t the Comelec have done the checking before actually giving the go signal to those who are now de facto partylist representations?

Many partylist organizations currently being represented in Congress represent sectors that are neither marginalized nor underrepresented by any stretch of the imagination. Some represent sectors that have been contrived or do not need any representation at all.

So where was the Comelec at the time these partylist groups were given accreditation? Why did it appear to give accreditation left and right? Now it is reaping the whirlwind. Rather than continue with this debauchery, the partylist system should instead be scrapped.

In other countries, the partylist system works because it hews closely to its purpose in being. Here in the Philippines, the partylist system is nothing but a political ploy to crash the party through the backdoor.