Manila, PHILIPPINES – During the second round of presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections, presidential candidate Jose Montemayor said that the Supreme Court is to be blamed for allowing the rich to enter the party-list system in the country.
The statement was made by the presidential candidate when asked if the party-list system should be reformed of abolished.
Montemayor said that it was the Supreme Court that disorganized the party-list system when it allowed marginalized sectors to be represented instead of only the underrepresented sectors.
“Tandaan po natin na ang gumulo ng buong sitwasyon ay ang Supreme Court. Wala naman sa original party-list law ang tinatawag na marginalized. It is only underrepresented sectors,” Montemayor said.
“Noong pinollute na, noong binago na nang binago, may Panganiban doctrine, may Carpio doctrine, may Vitug doctrine, gumulo nang gumulo until ang party-list system, pumasok na sa mga mayayaman,” he added.
In the landmark case of Paglaum v. COMELEC, the Supreme Court held, among others, that “three different groups may participate in the party-list system: (1) national parties or organizations, (2) regional parties or organizations, and (3) sectoral parties or organizations.”
“National parties or organizations and regional parties or organizations do not need to organize along sectoral lines and do not need to represent any “marginalized and underrepresented” sector,” the Supreme Court said in its decision penned by former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Said case reversed the earlier ruling in the case of Ang Bagong Bayani vs. COMELEC, where it was held that the party-list organization or party, in order to be qualified, must factually and truly represent the marginalized and underrepresented constituencies.
Due to the change in the ruling of the Supreme Court, Motemayor said that it opened the “gate of hell” for the rich.
“Ang nangyari ngayon, 77% ng ating party-list system, puro mayayaman. Binuksan ng Supreme Court ang gate of hell para sa mga mayayaman,” Montemayor said.
The presidential candidate even said that justices in the Supreme Court are accommodating the requests of their “boss”, which seems to pertain to the incumbent president that appointed them.
“Tignan nating mabuti ang ating mga justices, bawat administrayon magfile ka ng kaso, they will change again, kagaya ng cityhood. Babaguhin nila depende sa kung anong gusto ng boss,” he said.
Nevertheless, Montemayor said that the party-list system should be retain as abolishing it would only aggravate the situation.
“Lalong maaggravate ang ating sitwasyon kung mawawalan ng representation yung mga mahihirap. Wag po nating taggalin itong party-list system pero ibalik po natin sa dating definition and intent of the framers of the Constitution,” he said. TNF