Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation joint with Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes 07 August 2023; 10:00am; Pecson Room
OPENING STATEMENT

Agenda:

• Senate Bill No. 179 - New Omnibus Election Code of 2022 (By: Sen. Marcos)

• Senate Bill Nos. 201 and 1174 - Amending R.A. No. 7941 (The Party-List System Act) (By: Sens. Dela Rosa and Marcos)

• Senate Bill No. 179 - New Omnibus Election Code of 2022 (By: Sen. Marcos)

• Senate Bill No. 1061 - Providing an Additional Ground for Cancelling the Certificate of Candidacy of a Nuisance Candidate (By: Sen. Gatchalian)

• Senate Bill No. 308 - Abolishing the Printing of the Voters Information and Instruction Sheet (By: Sen. Pimentel)

Magandang umaga po sa ating lahat!

Foremost, let me manifest my appreciation to our hardworking chairperson, Senator Imee Marcos, for immediately tackling the measures that seek to amend RA 7941 or the Party-List System Act. This public hearing is very timely in light of the allegations that there are groups that have used and abused our Party-List System.

During the 18th Congress, as a result of the series of hearings that this representation has conducted on the missing minors who were allegedly recruited by leftist groups, one of the recommendations of the Committee of Public Order and Dangerous Drugs was to amend RA 7941.

We recommended that, after observing due process of law, there should be focus on the outright refusal or cancellation of registration of any national, regional or sectoral party, organization or coalition that advocates subversive dogma, and pursuant thereof, undertakes criminal acts towards this goal.

In line with this, the recommended legislative action is now contained in my Senate Bill No. 201. Apart from this, I also proposed as additional ground for refusal or cancellation of registration the direct or indirect participation of the party or organization 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 proscribed terrorist persons or groups pursuant to RA 11479, otherwise known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

My goal in proposing the amendments to our Party-List law is to ensure that those who have been granted the opportunity to participate in the party-list system are those who could genuinely contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation.

There is no place in our government for those individuals or groups who aim to destabilize our duly constituted government from within. I hope we are one in putting an end to the bastardization of the party-list system. Let us restore the dignity of this system as originally intended by the framers of the 1987 Constitution.

I look forward to a fruitful discussion with our colleagues and resource persons. Thank you, Madam Chair.