At least 29 out of 53 party list reps proclaimed by Comelec are from political clans, former government officials, multi-millionaires
by Arnold Padilla (Radical’s Nut)
More than two weeks after the May 2013 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has finally proclaimed, albeit still incomplete, the winning party list groups. Looking at the composition of the party list representatives who will sit in the 16th Congress, it appears that at least 29 out of the 53 representativesinitially proclaimed by Comelec (from 38 party list groups) either come from political dynasties, related to current or former government officials, are former public officials themselves, and/or are multi-millionaires. The remaining five seats (to complete the mandated 58 seats) will likely be bagged by representatives coming from the political and economic elite as well. Thus, when the much delayed proclamation has already been completed, political clans, former public officials and/or multi-millionaires will occupy more than half of the seats intended for the poor and marginalized (at least 34 out of 58 party list seats).
After gaining some ground to rid the party list system of questionable and bogus groups, the people’s campaign was ultimately derailed by the Comelec itself when it allowed some of the dubious parties to run, and further by the Supreme Court (SC) when it decided that the party list system is not exclusive to under-represented and marginalized sectors. (Download the SC decisionhere.) Because of their power, influence and wealth, many of these questionable and bogus party list groups were able to clinch seats in the incoming 16th Congress while those that genuinely represent the under-represented and marginalized were, well, marginalized.
Political dynasties (at least four reps)
Winning party list groups include those associated with established political dynasties such ABONO (Rep. Conrado Estrella III from the Estrella clan of Pangasinan and Rep. Francisco Ortega III from the Ortega clan of La Union); AAMBIS-OWA (Rep. Sharon Garin from the Garin clan of Iloilo) and; AVE (Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay from the Magsaysay clan of Zambales). Expectedly, the bailiwicks of these political clans delivered votes for their party list groups. Pangasinan and La Union, the bailiwicks of the Ortegas and Estrellas, for instance, accounted for more than 78% of the votes of ABONO, based on partial and unofficial results posted on the Comelec website. Votes from Iloilo, the bailiwick of the Garins, comprised more than 55% of the votes garnered by AAMBIS-OWA.
Related to politicians, public officials (at least five reps)
Other winning party list groups will have representatives related to sitting government officials like Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of ABAMIN, brother of reelected Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez; and Rep. Raymond Mendoza of TUCP, husband of reelected North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza. Note that more than 19% of the votes cornered by TUCP came from North Cotabato. Others are relatives of high ranking officials of the judiciary such as Rep. Catalina Leonen-Pizarro of ABS, wife of Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Normandie Pizarro and AMA Rep. Lorna Velasco, wife of SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco. Meanwhile, DIWA Rep. Emmeline Aglipay is the daughter of former Philippine National Police (PNP) Edgardo Aglipay.
Former government officials (at least seven reps)
Former government officials are also making a political comeback as party list representatives. They include former Manila Mayor and Environment Secretary (Arroyo administration) Lito Atienza of BUHAY; former Undersecretary for Political Affairs (current Aquino administration) Ibarra Gutierrez III of AKBAYAN; former Labor Attache of the Philippine Embassy in the UAE (Cory Aquino administration), former Ambassador in Washington DC (Ramos administration), and former chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission or NLRC (Estrada administration) Roy Señeres of OFW Family; former National Anti-Poverty Commission or NAPC member (Arroyo administration) and former Department of Agrarian Reform or DAR assistant secretary Rep. Cresente Paez and former National Cooperative Development Council or NCDC officer Anthony Bravo of COOP-NATCCO; former Road Board member (Aquino administration) Jesulito Manalo of Angkla; and former Department of Justice or DOJ Secretary (Ramos administration) Silvestre Bello III of 1-BAP.
Multi-millionaires (at least 13 reps)
Finally, multi-millionaires (i.e. those with a net worth of almost or over P10 million as declared in their 2012 SALN and/or are associated with business interests) will again also sit as supposed representatives of the poor and marginalized including BUHAY Reps. Mariano Velarde, son of El Shaddai founder Bro. Mike Velarde, and William Tieng, whose family controls Solar Sports; A Teacher Reps. Mariano Piamonte, board member of a private Bulacan university and former executive director of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), and Julieta Cortuna; 1-CARE Rep. Michael Angelo Rivera; AKO BICOL Reps. Christopher Co (of Albay’s rich Co family that owns transnational group Sunwest Group of Companies, Tektone Global Technologies Foundation, commercial hub Embarcadero de Legaspi, and other construction firms, malls, and resorts) and Rodel Batocabe; AGAP Rep. Nicanor Briones; AN WARAY Rep. Neil Montejo, whose family owns hotels in Tacloban City; YACAP Rep. Carol Lopez; BUTIL Rep. Agapito Guanlao; LPGMA Rep. Arnel Ty, an incorporator of various LPG distributors in the country; and ALAY BUHAY Rep. Weslie Gatchalian, whose family owns Waterfront Phils., the largest Filipino-owned hotel chain in the country;
But note also that those who come from political clans or are related to current and former government officials are also multi-millionaires and have interests in various businesses as well. The table below lists the 16 party list representatives who were members of the 15thCongress with a declared net worth of almost or more than P10 million and will sit again in the 16th Congress as party list legislators.