Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Thursday filed a bill amending the Party-List System Act to block groups with alleged terrorist ties and unlawful activities from entering Congress.

In his explanatory note, Dela Rosa emphasized that although the 1987 Constitution established the party-list system to represent marginalized sectors, its implementation has been compromised by misuse and infiltration by groups that undermine its democratic purpose.

“Clearly, intent is not everything,” Dela Rosa said, warning that some organizations have used the party-list mechanism not to represent the marginalized, but to advance political or ideological agendas.

Dela Rosa also raised concerns over the alleged entry of groups linked to rebels and designated terrorist organizations in the Philippines, which he said "undermines public trust and national security."

The senator said the proposed measure seeks to amend Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 7941 to broaden the grounds for refusal or cancellation of registration of party-list groups.

Dela Rosa's bill advocates for additional disqualifications, specifically targeting the promotion or use of violence and unlawful acts involving vulnerable sectors, particularly children and youth; as well as any form of association or support for groups designated as terrorist organizations under RA 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

According to Dela Rosa, democracy must be protected not only by allowing dissent but also by ensuring order and safeguarding legitimate political spaces.

“The party-list system was never meant to be a Trojan horse for anti-government or anti-democratic activities,” he said.

Dela Rosa clarified that the bill does not intend to suppress legitimate representation of sectoral groups.

"On the contrary, it aims to restore the system to its rightful purpose: to uplift the marginalized and to ensure a responsive, inclusive legislative process," he further pointed out.

He urged the immediate passage of the measure "to preserve the integrity of the country’s democratic institutions."

During the Duterte administration, several former rebels accused the Makabayan bloc of having ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

They also claimed that mass organizations linked to the bloc were involved in recruiting youth and civilians into the New People’s Army (NPA), the CPP’s armed wing.

Makabayan Bloc representatives have consistently denied the allegations.

The CPP-NPA is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the CPP's political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF), was officially labeled a terrorist group by the Anti-Terrorism Council on 23 June 2021.