Batasan Pambansa. (File photo) MANILA - The party-list system should not be abused as "gateways" by the rich and powerful to occupy seats in government, nor as "legal fronts" by communist rebels, a lawmaker on Friday said. In an interview, Ang Probinsyano Party-List Representative Alfred delos Santos said party-list groups should genuinely represent the interest of marginalized sectors, as intended under the 1987 Constitution. "The party-list system should not be used as a gateway of those aspiring seats in Congress, nor should it be used by people allegedly serving as legal fronts of communist rebels seeking to overthrow the government," he said. He emphasized that party-list groups play an important role in the country's political system because they are the "voice" of the marginalized and underrepresented. "We are aware of reports that there are doubts on some party-list groups but from our end, I can very well say that we are among t
Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera (File photo) MANILA - A leader of the House of Representatives on Thursday stressed the need to amend the party-list system to ensure that its purpose of giving greater representation to the marginalized and disadvantaged is achieved. In a media forum, Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said the term "marginalized" should be properly defined to make sure that the marginalized sectors or groups, including labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and other such sectors are given representation in Congress as originally envisioned under the 1987 Constitution. "There's really a need to amend the party-list law. You have to properly define what marginalized means," Herrera said. "My stand is that yung sector na hindi naririnig, yung sector na hindi napupush ang agenda nila, yun ang kinakailangan irepresent sa Congress (the sector that has no voice to push its agenda should be represented in Congr
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo) MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he had no regrets over his decision to reject oligarchs' offer to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. Duterte made the statement in his prerecorded Talk to the People, as he reiterated his stance to dismantle oligarchy. "Sabi ko, itong mga oligarch (I said these oligarchs), it can never. Kaya 'yung iba diyan, hindi ko tinanggap 'yung election contribution ninyo, campaign funds (That's why I did not accept their election contribution or campaign funds). I never regretted it or I do not regret it. Pagdating ng panahon, yari kayong lahat (When the time comes, you are all doomed)," he said. Duterte also advised the Filipino voters to be careful in choosing the country's next leaders, warning them against the election hopefuls who are tainted with corruption. He cautioned the electorate against party-list groups that are in alliance with the communist movement and tho
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo) MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday confirmed that at least five party-list groups are serving as "legal fronts" of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Duterte issued the statement, as he backed the claim of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for sectoral concerns and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy against five party-lists that are allegedly conniving with the CPP. In his taped Talk to the People aired late Tuesday night, Duterte said Badoy is "right" that party-list groups Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, and Gabriela, or the so-called "KABAG," are in alliance with the communist group to topple the government. "Sabihin ko sa inyo, tama si Lorraine Badoy na itong mga party-list na Kabataan, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers or ACT, at Gabriela, makita naman ninyo sa behav
NTF ELCAC Spokesperson and PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy (PNA file photo) MANILA - The cases filed against the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) and its spokesperson Lorraine Badoy "come straight" from the central committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). "So, this filing of charges against officials of the NTF-ELCAC comes straight from the central committee of the terrorist organization, CPP-NPA-NDF, and are merely being implemented by their urban operatives on the ground," Badoy said during the weekly NTF-ELCAC press conference at the National Press Club on Monday. In a statement issued by the NTF-ELCAC, the personalities running in the May 9 elections under party-list groups are CPP-NPA-NDF's urban operatives who filed charges against the task force officials. "Hindi ito Lorraine Badoy statement kung hindi (This is not a Lorraine Badoy