Prostituted

FIRST PERSON

- ALEX MAGNO

From the onset, the party-list system provided for by the 1987 Constitution was problematic. It opened the doors to an extremely elastic definition of what the "marginalized" sectors were that needed this special mechanism for representation.

The communist groups were first to realize the potential for seizing a niche in the legislative process for their mass organizations. The niche proved useful both as an outlet for conducting their propaganda campaigns and as a source of access to overflowing pork.

Ideological party-list groups organized around the left's standard delineation of "marginalized" social sectors — workers, peasants, youth, women and others — composed a large section of party-list representatives. It enabled the leftist movement to build an outsized presence in our politics.

The period in the evolution of party-list representation is quickly passing. Other political players have understood the advantages of participating in this segment of political representation.

In the last few electoral cycles, party-list representation has become the playground for dynastic and special interest politics. The entrenched political clans quickly caught on, fielding party-list groups that helped extend their dynastic hold over their localities and expand their political clout — not to mention their access to the pork barrel.

For the entrenched political clans, party-list representation offered cheap access to extra seats in Congress with the same command votes they use to hold on to regular elective posts.