Election watchdog Kontra Daya stressed that out of the 156 party-list groups running in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, 86 groups, or 55.13% of those running, do not truly represent the marginalized sector.
Kontra Daya convener Dr. Danilo Arao led the discussion of their recent study in a media presser on Wednesday, February 12.
The group noted that most survey leaders are among those flagged for hijacking the party-list race. Seven party-lists leading the December 2024 and January 2025 Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys have been highlighted for having ties to political clans, big businesses, or the police/military.
“Political dynasties appear to dominate 4PS (Abalos), ACT-CIS (Tulfo and Yap), FPJ Bantay Bayan (Poe Llamanzares with Dolor and Paton families), and Tingog Sinirangan (Romualdez). Big business interests are apparent in Ako Bicol (Sunwest) and TGP (Teravera; contractor of DPWH projects). Duterte Youth has military connections, which explains its track record of red-tagging,” the watchdog stated.
The group added that other grounds for flagging include cases related to pork barrel, plunder, graft and corruption, dubious advocacy, and insufficient information about the nominees running.
Loopholes exploited in 2013 SC ruling
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) warned that the continued hijacking of the party-list system will further entrench elite dominance in Philippine politics, diminishing the democratic space for genuine representatives of the marginalized.
“When the party-list system was introduced, it was meant to give voice to the voiceless—farmers, workers, indigenous peoples, the urban poor, and other marginalized groups who have historically been excluded from decision-making. However, decades of flawed implementation, court rulings that opened the system to almost anyone, and the entry of powerful political families and big businesses have undermined this intent. Instead of serving as a platform for genuine representation, the party-list system has become a backdoor for traditional politicians and economic elites to further consolidate power,” said CenPEG in its statement.
The Party-List System Act (Republic Act 7941) is a distinct feature under the 1987 Constitution. Under RA 7941, 20% of the House of Representatives may be elected through party-list representation. Ideally, party-list representatives open the doors for underrepresented sectors to take part in Philippine governance.
However, leniency in the law was further exploited by dynastic families and big businesses after the Supreme Court issued its ruling in 2013, stating that party-list representation is open to various groups and parties, not just marginalized sectors.
“Among the more than 1,500 party-list nominees, Tingog Sinirangan deserves close scrutiny for being linked with the Romualdez clan, to which the current House Speaker belongs,” said Kontra Daya in its statement.
The election watchdog also cited the case of the ACT-CIS party-list, helmed by the Tulfo political clan, and how it managed to extend its influence beyond the House of Representatives to the Senate and even an appointed Cabinet position.
“The profiles of ACT-CIS party-list nominees show how the Tulfos control the group in partnership with the Yap dynasty,” Kontra Daya added.
The group furthered, “Based on Kontra Daya’s monitoring, there are cases of party-list nominees providing limited information in the forms they submitted to the Commission on Elections. They did not provide specific details on the nature of their work, preferring to give only general information. It is also possible for members of political clans (including incumbent party-list representatives) to be listed not in the top three nominees but in lower ranks. This should remind the public to scrutinize all 10 party-list nominees, not just the top three (i.e., the maximum number of seats that party-list groups can win).”
“Uphold true intent of the Party-list System”
CenPEG condemned the blatant manipulation of the party-list system, lamenting that its current implementation empowers political dynasties, retired government officials, and wealthy businessmen instead of representing the marginalized.
“This practice distorts the essence of proportional representation and deprives legitimate sectoral groups of their rightful voice in policymaking. Instead of championing the interests of the poor, many party-list groups now act as mere extensions of ruling elites,” CenPEG said.
The group also called for the restoration of the original intent of RA 7941, highlighting four points for reform:
- Strict enforcement of the party-list law’s original mandate – Only organizations that genuinely represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors should be allowed to run.
- Disqualification of political dynasties and big business proxies – The party-list system should not be a refuge for political families or a tool for expanding business interests in governance.
- Transparency and accountability in party-list accreditation – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) must strictly scrutinize party-list applicants and reject those that fail to meet the law’s intent.
- Legislative reforms to strengthen sectoral representation – Congress must amend the law to explicitly prohibit traditional politicians and economic elites from exploiting the system.
“We call on all democratic forces—civil society, grassroots organizations, and concerned citizens—to stand together in reclaiming the party-list system for those who truly need it. The future of our democracy depends on it,” CenPEG concluded.
Kontra Daya’s recent study on party-list groups in the 2025 polls can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/2025KDPLstudy.
