MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros and Akbayan Party-list are seeking sweeping reforms to the country’s party-list system, filing measures that aim to bar political dynasties and contractors from exploiting what was originally designed as a mechanism for marginalized sectors.

Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 1656, while Akbayan Party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao filed House Bill No. 7074 as its counterpart. Both bills seek to amend the Party-List System Act to prevent entrenched political families and business interests from dominating the system.

Introducing her measure, Hontiveros underscored the need to reclaim the party-list system from abusive personalities.

“Kung gusto nilang rumaket, huwag nilang gamitin ang partylist system. This bill aims to reclaim the voice of ordinary Filipinos who’ve been shut out of power because of abusive personalities who are using the partylist system as a backdoor to power. Tama na ang pangha-hijack nila. If they’re not genuinely fighting for the Filipino people, they don’t belong in this system,” she said.

Diokno, co-author of the House version, emphasized that the reforms are meant to restore the original spirit of the law.

“Our bill seeks to restore the true intent of the law and keep the party-list system out of the hands of those who seek to exploit it. It also guarantees that marginalized sectors have a real voice in Congress, enabling them to fight for their rights and welfare,” he explained.

Beyond banning dynasties and contractors, the proposed measures also prohibit the registration of party-list groups patterned after television or radio programs, government assistance initiatives, or the names of public officials, celebrities, and other public figures. This safeguard, proponents argue, will ensure that the system remains focused on genuine sectoral representation.

The bills likewise call for the removal of the three-seat limit currently imposed on party-list groups. Diokno argued that the cap undermines proportional representation.

“The limit contradicts the Constitution’s intent to achieve proportionality,” he said, stressing that the restriction distorts electoral outcomes and prevents parties from scaling their representation according to public support.

The push for reform comes amid findings by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism that 66 percent of party-lists in the 19th Congress had at least one nominee from an established political dynasty. Congressional inquiries into flood control projects have also revealed that several party-list representatives benefit directly from government contracts.

Hontiveros condemned the conflict of interest inherent in such practices.

“Someone who votes on infrastructure budgets while their company bids on those same projects is a scammer. This blatant conflict of interest has no place in a democracy. After decades of abuse and loopholes, the sweeping reforms proposed in these bills hope to hand the reins back to everyday Filipinos,” she said.

📷 Risa Hontiveros, Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Ismula FB