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By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News
Published January 18, 2021 9:57pm Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday filed a bill seeking to prevent groups working on the overthrow of the government from getting elected to Congress through the party-list system. Senate Bill No. 1989, which would amend Republic Act 7941 or the Party-list System Act, was filed after Sotto disclosed that President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to amend the Constitution to prevent some House members, particularly the Makabayan bloc, from allegedly using government resources in advancing the interest of the Communist Party of the Philippines. During a series of Senate hearings on red-tagging, the Makabayan bloc denied any they had any ties with the CPP and condemned the baseless accusations against them.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III
(Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
This was one of his proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party List System Act, according to the bill he filed on Monday afternoon.
In his Senate Bill No. 1989, Sotto sought the refusal or cancellation of the registration of party, organization or coalition that “directly or indirectly [participate] in acts detrimental to the best interest of the government, to overthrow the government or diminish its powers or to be associated by any means to rebels or those designated and/or proscribed as terrorist persons or groups under the Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.”
Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima said Saturday she is joining a growing call in the Senate to simply amend the Party-List System Act, which has long been ‘’bastardized by those so drunk on powers, money and influence, instead of pushing for Cha-cha (charter change).”