MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday raised questions and cited possible challenges in its preparations for the 2028 national and local elections should the proposed measures of amending the Party-list System Act be enacted into law.
During the hearing of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms on the bills amending the Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list System Act, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia asked the lawmakers when the measure will be implemented if it will be enacted into law, noting that it is one of the priority measures determined by the Legislative-Executive Development Authority Council.
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“Kasi may problema tayo. Ngayon ay nasa Agosto na tayo. By next year, 2027, yan na yung preparatory national and local elections. Nagsimula na po kami simula noong Marso na tumanggap ng applications for registration to be accredited dito sa party-list,” Garcia said.
(We have a problem. It’s August now. By next year, 2027, we will be preparing for the national and local elections. In March, we started accepting applications for registration to be accredited as a party-list.)
Garcia said that the application for party-list registration for the 2028 elections will run until December this year. With this, he also asked if the enacted law will be retroactive for the party-lists that already filed their accreditation.
He agreed to the manifestations of some lawmakers who filed separate bills, saying that there should be evidentiary or classificatory hearing for party-lists to determine whether they genuinely represent their sectors.
“So dapat po, alamin natin kung talagang ica-classify natin yung political parties into sector. Dapat magkaroon ng evidentiary hearing but are we going to apply that to existing party-lists already? O dapat yung subsequent party-lists na lang yung mag evidentiary hearing kasi kapos na kami sa panahon?” he added.
(So we must know if the political parties will be classified into sectors. We should have evidentiary hearing but are we going to apply that to existing party-lists already? Or should the evidentiary hearing be applied to subsequent party-lists because we lack time already?)
Garcia also said that if someone questions before the Supreme Court the enactment of the law, many aspects of Comelec’s preparations will go to waste.
“Very critical na sana maliwanag sa amin whatever the Congress will come up will be prospective and not retroactive and pinakaimportante, we’re hoping na sana kung sakaling hindi makakaabot, may transition period,” said Garcia.
(It’s very critical that they explain to us whatever Congress will come up with will be prospective and not retroactive and the most important is we’re hoping that if we can’t make it, there will be a transition period.)
He said that the transition period may be applied if the Comelec will not be able to implement the law on the 2028 elections to avoid reprinting of ballots, if there will be major changes on the party-list system.
He noted that reprinting ballots of 74 million registered voters will be costly and it may cause delay in the preparations.
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In an ambush interview after the hearing, Garcia said that without imposing any decision on Congress, the Comelec hopes that if there will be amendments to the Party-list System Act, they will be implemented before October this year.
Meanwhile, Garcia said that the Comelec hopes for the return of the original intent of the party-lists system under the 1987 Constitution.
He noted that different sectors in the society such as workers, farmers, fisherfolk, women, and youth, must have genuine representation in the lower chamber.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, in his sponsorship speech for House Bill (HB) No. 6193, said that the current party-list system has been used as a “backdoor” for political dynasties and those involved in big corporations to secure government contracts.
In his separate sponsorship for HB 7074, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said that the proposed bill prohibits political dynasties, direct interest with government contractors and provides a clearer formula for seat computations.
The House panel’s chairperson Rep. Zia Adiong moved to consolidate all the filed bills and create a technical working group (TWG) to harmonize the said measures.
He added that the resource persons and guests, particularly the Comelec, will be part of the TWG for better coordination. /gsg
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