Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla has said that he supports abolishing the party-list system if the time comes to amend the 1987 Constitution’s political provisions through a constitutional convention (con-con).
Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, also proposed to strengthen the party system to end the cycle of people voting for candidates on the basis of popularity and wealth.
“Kung mapupunta tayo sa con-con, yan dapat una nating gibain dahil ang party-list system ay, my goodness gracious, di ko na makita. Mula magdesisyon ang ating Korte Suprema na payagan na pati mga mayayaman, nawala na po ng anghang at sustansya. Dapat po yan mga sektor na di naririnig. Ngayon ewan ko, sa totoo lang po,” he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
(If we go to con-con, we must destroy that first because the party-list system is, my goodness gracious, I can’t see it anymore. Since our Supreme Court decided to allow even the rich, it has lost its spice and substance. Sectors that are not heard must be the ones represented. Now, I don’t know, to be honest.)
“Ang kinatawan (sa sistemang ito), naging katawa-tawa,” he added.
(It has become funny that we have wealthy people voted as party-list representatives to represent the marginalized.)
Padilla likewise batted for the strengthening of the party system so people would vote for candidates based on their party advocacy, instead of on the basis of popularity or wealth.
“Sa totoo lang, kung gusto natin mabago talaga ang pulitika sa Pilipinas, palakasin natin ang party system. Tigilan na po natin ang kaboboto dahil sikat at dahil ito may pera. Alam nyo kung nabago natin ang Constitution at mapalakas natin ang partido ang iboboto nyo na po ang adhikain ng partido, di na yung sikat,” he said.
(To be honest, if we want to reform politics in the Philippines, we should strengthen our party system. We should end the cycle of voting for candidates on the basis of popularity and wealth. Instead, we can vote on the basis of their advocacies and positions.)
Padilla said he is not opposed to amending the Charter’s political provisions through a constitutional convention, though he maintains that amending the economic provisions of the Constitution through a constituent assembly should be the priority.