SEPT 8, 2015

NR # 3951B

Bill strengthening Party-list System endorsed to Plenary

The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms has endorsed plenary
passage of the proposed bill strengthening the countrys Party-list system.
The committee-approved HB 6056, contained in Committee Report 841, is entitled
An Act strengthening the Party-list System, amending Republic Act No. 7941, otherwise
known as the Party-list System Act.
Committee Chairman Fredenil H. Castro said the main objective of the proposed
remedial statute is to make the provisions of R.A. 7941 more consistent with the
Constitutional mandate, intent and purpose to democratize the Philippine electoral and
political system.
HB 6056 is a substitute bill to the two original measures HB 179 authored by
Reps. Neri Colmenares, Carlos Isagani Zarate, Luzviminda Ilagan, Emmi De Jesus,
Antonio Tinio, Fernando Hicap and Terry Ridon, and HB 4549 authored by Reps. Ibarra
Gutierrez III, Anthony Bravo, Juan Johnny Revilla, Julieta Cortuna, Edgardo
Masongsong, Christopher Co, Rodel Batocabe, Cresente Paez, Nicanor Briones, Rico
Geron, Gary Alejano, Francisco Ashley Acedillo, Rufus Rodriguez, Maximo Rodriguez,
Jr., Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, Samuel Pagdilao, Catalina Leonen-Pizarro, Erlinda
Santiago, Lorna Velasco, Pablo Nava III, and Roy Seeres, Sr.
The bill mandates that any national, regional or sectoral party, organization, or
coalition already registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) under RA
7941 need not register anew and shall automatically be eligible to participate in the partylist elections without need of further requirements. Provided, that it has not ceased to
exist for at least one (1) year prior to the date of the party-list elections, or was not
dissolved, absorbed, merged.
Likewise, it also provides that any national, regional or sectoral party,
organization, or coalition shall formally manifest its intention to participate in the partylist elections 180 days before the elections.
HB 6056 also provides that any qualified group of persons may register as a
national, regional or sectoral political party and as a participant in the party-list system by
filing with the COMELEC not later than 180 days before the election a petition verified
by its president or chairperson, or in their absence, the secretary-general.
The bill also provides that for the purpose of registering as a sectoral party, the
sectors shall include, but not limited to, labor, peasant, fisher-folk, urban poor, indigenous
cultural communities, elderly, cooperatives, handicapped, women, youth, veterans,

overseas and professional sectors. National and regional parties shall not be required to
register a sectoral constituency for the purpose of participating in the party-list system.
The authors pointed out that the amendatory law provides that the COMELEC may
motu propio, refuse to give due course to a verified petition for registration or upon a
verified petition of an interested party and after a summary hearing, deny said verified
petition for registrations it is shown that such petition has been filed to put the party-list
election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the
similarity of petitioners name to any previously registered party-list or by other
circumstances or act which clearly demonstrate that the petitioner has no bona fide
intention to run in the party-list elections and that giving due course to the verified petition
on approving the registration of the party, organizations or coalition shall prevent a
faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.
Also, the bill mandates that a complaint for cancellation of registration of any
national, regional or sectoral pay may only be filed once every three (3) years and in no
case within six (6) months before the next national elections and that no case of the same
or similar nature shall be recognized by the COMELEC after the said period.
It also provides that all complaints for cancellation must be decided by the
COMELEC not later than sixty (60) days before the next elections.
However, the bill states that the pendency of a complaint and/or motion for
reconsideration of a resolution denying a complaint for cancellation of registration of a
national, regional or sectoral party shall not be a ground for deferment of the proclamation
of the concerned party-list.
Furthermore, the measure mandates that no party-list nominee from the same party,
organization or coalition shall be related up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or
affinity to other party-list nominees.
Likewise, it states that the COMELEC shall, not later than seventy-five (75) days
before election, prepare a certified list of nominees which shall be published in a
newspaper of general circulation at least once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks.
To qualify as a party-list nominee, he or she must be: a) a natural-born citizen of the
Philippines; b) a registered voter; c) a resident of the Philippines for a period of not less
than one (1) year immediately preceding the day of election; d) able to read and write; e) a
bona fide member of the party of organization which the nominee seeks to represent for at
least ninety (90) days preceding the day of the elections; and f) is at least twenty-fine (25)
years of age on the day of election.
No party, organization or coalition shall be entitled to more than three (3) seats in
the House of Representatives. (30) dpt