Disband bogus, pro-admin party-lists – fishers’ group
Manila, Philippines – Fake and dummy party-lists handled by the administration must be disqualified and barred from running in the 2022 elections, instead of targeting progressive party-lists belonging to the Makabayan bloc, according to the militant fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Friday.
PAMALAKAYA was reacting to the move of President Rodrigo Duterte to amend the party-list system through charter change (Cha-Cha).
“Duterte wants to disqualify the Makabayan bloc to diminish, and ultimately remove the opposition in the lower chamber. The sinister plan is for Duterte’s minion party-lists to dominate the legislative branch and create a rubber stamp congress,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list solon, identified pro-administration party-lists such as Duterte Youth, among others, that are actually “worthless in legislation, but only endorse Duterte admin’s draconian interests including the passing of anti-terrorism law, franchise rejection of media giant ABS-CBN, among other anti-people and widely-objected policies”.
“Pro-admin party-lists only serve as Duterte’s stooge that endorse Duterte’s bid to further cannibalize the 1987 constitution. Moreover, they want to siphon off the multi-trillion public funds for the government’s drastic measures,” added Hicap.
The fishers’ group also slated the proposed constituent assembly (Con-Ass) to amend the charter, as a “cunning measure of Duterte for a term extension and strengthen his grip on power”.
“We dare the leadership of the Senate to reject any attempt for a constituent assembly because it is a complete turnaround of the Senate’s mandate of becoming a total independent branch,” ended Hicap. ###
