SENATOR Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV has filed the landmark “Party-List Reform Act” (Senate Bill 1559), a legislative measure designed to cleanse Congress and ensure that ordinary Filipinos’ voices are genuinely represented.
Aquino said the bill responds to growing public frustration with a system perceived as broken and exploitative, citing issues such as the flood control fund controversy.
“The outrage is high,” he said. “But to really push for systemic changes, we must act now.”
Data from the watchdog group Kontra Daya revealed that 86 out of 156 party-list groups in the last elections were linked to powerful families or corporations, highlighting the need for reform.
“They want to see systemic change. They want to see changes that will last,” Aquino said, emphasizing the public’s demand for structural integrity in both government and infrastructure.
The Party-List Reform Act proposes several safeguards to create a more resilient and representative democracy. Under the bill, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would conduct public evidentiary hearings to verify the authenticity of party-list organizations and ensure they truly represent the sectors they claim to serve.
The measure also bars nominees who are related within the third degree of kinship to any sitting elected official. Individuals who are or have been government contractors or officers of companies involved in public projects would also be prohibited from running, preventing conflicts of interest that often plague large-scale infrastructure projects.
SB 1559 further proposes extending key deadlines, including the registration period for party-list groups from 90 to 120 days before elections, and the release of the certified list of eligible organizations from 60 to 90 days prior.
Aquino urged both the public and his fellow legislators to remain vigilant.
“At the moment when the nation needs you, do not back down. Stand up, give your best, and offer genuine and real solutions for our people,” he said. (ABC)