Bayan Muna urges House to restore party-list system’s integrity

Commission on Elections. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares on Sunday urged the House of Representatives to restore the integrity of the party-list system following revelations concerning Malou Lipana, the first nominee of the Vendors party-list.

In an interview with Ted Failon and DJ Chacha on Radyo Singko, Lipana disclosed that her company, Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corporation, secured nearly P200 million in contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in June 2024.

Colmenares strongly criticized this “ongoing manipulation of the party-list system by the wealthy and influential elite.”

“The party-list system was established as a social justice tool to empower the marginalized, not as a backdoor for the already powerful. We must protect this mechanism from being hijacked by those who do not share the struggles of the masses,” his statement read.

Since the 15th Congress, Bayan Muna and other Makabayan bloc members have filed bills aimed at strengthening the eligibility requirements and implementing measures to prevent political and economic elites from infiltrating the party-list system.

House Bill No. 211 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7941 to disqualify individuals who have served as president, mayor, or cabinet members from participating in the party-list system. The measure also aims to disqualify senators and district congressmen.

“Nanalo ka na nga sa senatorial o congressional election dahil sa yaman mo, tapos sasali ka pa sa party-list. We owe it to the Filipino people to safeguard the spaces meant for their genuine representation,” Colmenares said.

(You’ve already won in the senatorial or congressional election because of your wealth, and now you want to join a party-list.)

“The party-list system was reserved for the marginalized and underrepresented by the Supreme Court in Bayan Muna vs Comelec in 2001. Ni-reaffirm ito ng Korte Suprema sa Bayan Muna vs Comelec noong 2009. Panahon na na tapusin natin ang pamamayagpag ng mayayaman at dinastiya sa party-list at ibalik ang ordinaryong mamamayan sa party-list. Taumbayan naman,” he added.

(This was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in Bayan Muna vs. Comelec in 2009. It is time to end the dominance of the wealthy and the dynasties in the party-list system and return it to the ordinary citizens. The people deserve this.)

Colmenares is aiming to return to the House of Representatives in the 2025 elections as the first nominee for the Bayan Muna.

READ: Bayan Muna party-list files CONA for 2025 elections