Party-list reforms

Thanks to public outrage over massive corruption, it looks like Congress, after four decades, will finally carry out its constitutional mandate and pass an enabling law banning political dynasties.

- 

The reforms, however, should not stop there. The Commission on Elections has been trying to stop the ever worsening bastardization of the party-list system. But the Comelec’s efforts have been stymied by Congress, which passed laws that corrupted the intent of the party list, and the judiciary, which upheld the corruption based on those laws.

At a hearing yesterday of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, Comelec Chairman George Garcia urged lawmakers to pass legislation stopping the last-minute substitution of party-list nominees, which he says has allowed traditional politicians to hijack the system.