Advocacy or hypocrisy?

A luxury subdivision in southern Metro Manila, once a favored location for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and long considered a retreat for the country’s political and economic elite, is drawing controversy after being allegedly linked to a lawmaker from a party-list group that claims to represent the poor.

At the center of the issue is Coop-NATCCO, a party-list that won one seat in the House of Representatives during the 2025 midterm elections, securing 509,913 votes.

Founded on cooperative principles, Coop-NATCCO’s platform emphasizes private sector-led development and advocates for self-help and grassroots economic empowerment. The group’s messaging promotes the idea that through cooperation, individuals and communities can create their own socio-economic opportunities.

However, public scrutiny has grown in light of reports that Coop-NATCCO members collectively hold an estimated net worth of P150 billion. Among its leaders is Rep. Felimon M. Espares, who also serves as chief executive officer of the Barbaza Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Espares was recently reelected as the party’s representative in Congress.

According to Department of Budget and Management National Budget Circular No. 594, members of the House of Representatives receive a Salary Grade 31, with a base monthly salary ranging from P278,434 to P318,806.

While these figures place lawmakers among the highest-paid public officials, critics argue that salary alone does not account for the wealth disparities now associated with certain party-list leaders.

Calls for transparency and accountability have begun to gain traction online, as netizens question whether a group that claims to represent the marginalized can credibly do so while allegedly maintaining ties to elite, gated communities.