Barbers says bill aims to stop party-switching among candidates, elected officials

Surigao Del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers on Sunday said that once the measure he filed seeking to prevent "turncoatism," or changing of parties, is enacted into law, no electoral candidates will be allowed to run or be nominated by another party or party-list within one year following the elections.

Barbers made the remark after a sub-group of President Rodrigo Duterte's consultative committee formed to review the 1987 Constitution said it is seeking to ban the practice of turncoatism among government officials.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Barbers said House Bill 7431, which he filed in last month, covers not only elective officials who change their party affiliations, but also independent and party-list candidates.

"Ito ay hindi lamang limitado sa mga kandidato o mga politiko kundi kasama din dito yong mga party-list," he said.

"Kasi marami rin tayong kapag grumaduate na bilang congressman o governor o mayor ng isang lugar, tumatakbo naman bilang party-list o nagiging nominee ng isang party-list," he added.

Barbers said this also includes lawmakers who would create their own party-list for convenience, and party-list members who jump from one party-list to another.

House Bill 7431 seeks to prevent:

• an elected official from switching parties during his or her term;
• a candidate from switching parties within one year preceding an election and within one year following the election if they lose;
• an independent or party-list member from joining any political party within a year following an election he or she participated in, whether he or she won or lost; and
• an elected official, after resigning from his or her party, from joining another party within one year immediately preceding or following an election.

Barbers said violators of this proposal, if enacted, would be slapped with a penalty of automatic forfeiture of public office.

"Automatic 'yon. Kahit na ikaw ay nakaupo, bigla kang lumipat from partido at noong ikaw ay nahalal, tapos lumipat ka ng partido after one year, e forfeiture of public office na 'yan sa aking proposal," he said.

Other penalties include disqualification from running in the next two succeeding elections, and disqualification from being appointed to any position in the government for three years after the expiration of the current term.

Barbers is expecting that Congress will support his proposal, despite the fact that majority of its members have only recently changed their political affiliation and joined the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

"Kung talagang may paninindigan at matindi ang kanilang paniniwala at suporta dito sa sinasabing panahon ng pagbabago dahil nagpailalim sila sa isang partido na ang adbokasiya ay pagbabago, ay wala siguro akong nakikitang rason na may haharang, may pipigil at merong hindi susuporta dito, considering that Congress now does have a membership of super majority," he said. — Erwin Colcol/BM, GMA News