SENATOR Risa Hontiveros and the Akbayan Party have filed measures seeking to amend the Party-List System Act to curb what they described as widespread abuse by political dynasties and government contractors.
Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 1656, which proposes to bar members of political dynasties from participating in the party-list system and to prohibit party-list nominees and representatives who have interests in government contracts.
The bill aims to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that party-list seats are reserved for genuinely marginalized and underrepresented sectors.
A counterpart measure, House Bill No. 7074, was filed by Akbayan Party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismula, together with Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.
Hontiveros said the proposed reforms seek to reclaim the party-list system from what she called abusive personalities using it as a “backdoor to power,” stressing that those who are not genuinely advancing the interests of ordinary Filipinos have no place in the system.
Diokno, for his part, said the bill intends to restore the original spirit of the law and guarantee that marginalized sectors have a meaningful voice in Congress.
Beyond banning dynasties and contractors, the measures also prohibit the registration of party-list groups named after television or radio programs, government assistance initiatives, public officials, celebrities, or other public figures. The proposals likewise call for the removal of the three-seat cap, which Diokno said undermines proportional representation and contradicts the Constitution’s intent.
The move follows reports that a majority of party-list groups in the 19th Congress are linked to political dynasties and that some representatives benefit from government projects.
