Party-list
Groups and Arroyo: The Binding Links
Last of two parts
In
a legislative arena supposedly for the poor and underrepresented, there
are not a few party-list groups with close ties to the corridors of power.
A number also have links with very influential religious movements. Out of
the 23 party-list representatives in the 13th Congress at least
nine are identified with the camp of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
By
Alexander Martin Remollino
Bulatlat.com
With
Bayan Muna (BM – People First) joined by Anakpawis (toiling masses) and
Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) in the 13th Congress, some
people say there is now a “progressive bloc” in the House of
Representatives.
The
so-called “progressive bloc” will be working with six other party-list
groups describing themselves as representatives of oppressed sectors.
These are: An Waray, Butil, Anak Mindanao, Sanlakas, Partido ng Manggagawa
(PM), and Akbayan!
Most
of these party-list groups have, however, are closely identified with the
Arroyo camp. Some have close links with religious groups most of whom also
supported Arroyo in the last elections.
Bulatlat.com
estimates that out of the 23 party-list representatives in the 13th
Congress nine are identified with the camp of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
One
of the Akbayan! representatives, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, also represents
the government panel in the peace negotiations between the Government of
the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of
the Philippines (NDFP).
Akbayan!
in one of its post-election statements claimed to be a “left party”
independent of both the government and the Communist Party of the
Philippines.
The
GRP panel also nominated, as an observer to the GRP-NDFP Joint Monitoring
Committee for human rights and international humanitarian law, Aileen
Bacalzo of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (Find).
Find
is allied with Sanlakas. PM is Sanlakas’ worker-based affiliate.
Warays
and Moros
Two
of the party-list groups claim to represent specific marginalized
ethno-geographic groups.
An
Waray (literally, Those Who Have Nothing), introduces itself as the
party-list group of the people of Eastern Visayas, a region encompassing
the Samar-Leyte provinces and Biliran. The people of Eastern Visayas are
known as the Warays.
Eastern
Visayas is easily one of the poorest regions in the Philippines. In this
region, so says Antonio Lopez, of the defunct Asiaweek, eight out
of 10 people earn only P56 or $1 a day.
An
Waray promises to focus legislation on three basic issues: urban
migration, job creation, and rural education. The group believes that the
exodus of provincial people to Metro Manila should be addressed by giving
poor rural dwellers with better job opportunities through entrepreneurship
and livelihood programs, agriculture modernization, and infrastructure
development with focus on tourism. It will also push for additional
funding for rural education.
But
An Waray supported President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the last election.
The party-list group has as its adviser former Northern Samar Rep. Wilmar
Lucero – described in the book Pork and Other Perks, published by
the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, as being rich enough
to own a private helipad among other properties.
Another,
Anak Mindanao, describes itself as a representative of the Moro people. In
last May’s election, it competed with the Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the
Moro People) Party for the
Moro vote.
Anak
Mindanao aroused controversy when Suara Bangsamoro documented cases of dagdag-bawas
(vote-shaving and padding) in the province of Lanao del Norte.
Based
on copies of election returns from Lanao del Norte, obtained by the Suara
party from the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel),
in some 20 precincts in the province there were more votes for party-list
groups than the total number of actual votes cast. Anak Mindanao
frequently appeared in these election returns as one of the party-list
groups with a remarkably high number of votes.
Farmers
and cooperatives
The
Butil Farmers’ party, as its name suggests, claims to represent the
peasantry. Benjamin Cruz, who represented the party-list group in the 12th
Congress, will be serving a second term.
Cruz,
together with Jose de Venecia, are co-authors of House Bill 3339, which
seeks to eliminate quantitative restrictions on rice imports and replacing
these with tariffs. According to critics, HB 3339, if passed into law,
will destroy the domestic rice industry by allowing unfair competition
with countries with higher agricultural modernization and lower production
costs – and displace some 2.4 million farmers.
The
elimination of quantitative restrictions on rice imports was recommended
by lobby group Accelerating Growth, Liberalization and Investment with
Equity (AGILE). Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
AGILE set up offices in various government agencies and took part in the
drafting of legislation favoring the policies of globalization.
Like
An Waray, Butil supported Arroyo in the May election.
Two
of the party-list winners, APEC and Coop-Natcco, represent large
cooperative networks. The Coop-Natcco is a member of the Caucus of
Development NGOs (Code-NGO), a coalition of reformist non-government
organizations supportive of the Arroyo administration.
Code-NGO
gained access to Malacañang in the wake of the People Power 2 uprising
that ousted Joseph Estrada from the presidency in 2001. Two of its main
personalities, Dinky Soliman and Ging Deles, were given cabinet positions.
Religious
groups
Aside
from them, there are also three party-list groups linked with religious
formations.
Buhay
is linked with the charismatic group El Shaddai. One of its
representatives, Rene Velarde, is a son of El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde.
Buhay is also pro-Arroyo while El Shaddai backed the president in the May
elections.
Another,
Cibac, is affiliated with the Jesus Is Lord Movement of evangelist Eddie
Villanueva, who ran for president under the Bangon Pilipinas (Philippines
Arise) Movement. Its representative, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, is a son of
the evangelist.
Alagad,
for its part, is reported to be supported by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC or
Church of Christ). INC, which claims more than a million devotee-voters,
cast its lot with Arroyo in the last election. Bulatlat.com
First
of two parts: Party-list
Players in the 13th Congress
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