Removing party-list system won't solve problem of communist rebellion —solons

Removing the party-list system in the 1987 Constitution will not address the problem of communist rebellion in the country but would only deprive the poor and the marginalized of representation in Congress.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite made the remark on Thursday after Senate President Vicente Sotto III said President Rodrigo Duterte does not want a term extension but rather an amendment to the Constitution to fix or remove the party-list system.

"Abolishing the party-list system would not aid their crackdown against CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army), but only in the crackdown of representation for the poor and marginalized," Gaite said in a statement.

"Pagbawi ito sa tagumpay ng mamamayan noong EDSA I, ng tagumpay nila na magkaroon ng puwang sa loob ng Kongreso para sa mga madalas ay hindi napakikinggan. Ultimately, this is an attack on democracy, on participatory governance," he added.

Sotto disclosed the President's remark on the party-list system amid speculations on why deliberations on charter change are being revived in the House of Representatives.

"Ang sinabi niya, 'I want this problem with the CPP-NPA solved... The best way is we remove the party-list system or change it in the Constitution. So we can call for a constituent assembly and amend that,'" Sotto said.

"Wala siyang sinasabing term limits, extension of terms, wala siyang sinasabing no election. Mainit na mainit siya doon sa CPP-NPA issue. Ang dating sa kaniya, some members of the House of Representatives, particularly the Makabayan bloc, ay sympathizers or connected with the CPP-NPA," he added.

But Gaite said fixing the party-list system does not need Cha-cha. He added that members of the CPP-NPA themselves do not participate in the elections.

"If they are genuinely concerned about fixing the party-list system then they should go after traditional politicos who have abused the party-list system to skirt their term limits, to get reelected, or to entrench their dynasties. They should go after fake party-lists who do not genuinely represent the marginalized," he added.

For her part, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said the administration is only communist rebellion as an excuse to "slice and dice the Constitution for the personal purposes of those pushing for it."

"Hindi naman maihihiwalay ang pansariling interes na term extensions at pagpapanatili ang sarili, pamilya at political party sa poder ng kapangyarihan kahit na sabihin na ang intensyon ng sinusulong na Charter change ay tanggalin ang party-list system sa Kongreso," she said.

"This is another desperate attempt of the Duterte administration to hold on to power, silence critics and remove those who have been exposing their shameless and disrespectful acts which ultimately make the Filipino people suffer," she added.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat said Duterte's latest remark, as shared by Sotto, only shows the administration's desperate attempt to justify the attacks against the Makabayan Bloc.

The Makabayan Bloc is a consistent subject of the President's tirades. He once said that the group was not being red-tagged but was being named definitively as fronts for the CPP and the National Democratic Front.

"Walang hanggang red-tagging at repression imbes na tugunan nang maayos ang pandemya at ang lalong paglala ng ating sitwasyon ngayon at walang maayos na vaccination plan. Huwag nilang idivert ang atensyon ng publiko. Nagpapalala sila sa problema ng bansa," Cullamat said.

The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments is tentatively set to meet on Wednesday next week to discuss amendments to the "restrictive" economic provisions in the Constitution.—