Analyst pushes partylist system reform
‘Unless reforms are undertaken, the partylist system risks losing public legitimacy altogether.’
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‘Unless reforms are undertaken, the partylist system risks losing public legitimacy altogether.’
A leading political analyst and mathematician has called for sweeping reforms to what he described as the country’s increasingly “mangled” partylist system, warning that judicial interventions and legislative weaknesses have undermined its original constitutional purpose of giving marginalized sectors meaningful representation in Congress.
Dr. Felix P. Muga II, fellow of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) and Associate Professor of Mathematics at Ateneo de Manila University, said the system has drifted far from its democratic foundations due to design flaws and the controversial 2009 Supreme Court ruling in BANAT v. COMELEC.
“The partylist system was envisioned as a mechanism for empowering marginalized and underrepresented sectors. Instead, it has become vulnerable to elite capture, political dynasties, and judicially-created distortions that have weakened democratic representation,” Muga said.
In a research paper, he argued that the BANAT ruling effectively dismantled the two-percent vote threshold under Republic Act 7941 by allowing groups that failed to meet the minimum requirement to still obtain seats in Congress.
“The two-percent threshold was intended to serve as a democratic qualifier. By allowing non-qualifying groups to receive seats, the Court transformed a clear statutory gatekeeper into an optional rule,” he said.
Muga said this opened the door to the proliferation of partylist groups and made the system more vulnerable to well-funded political interests. He added that the Court’s concern over unfilled seats could have been addressed using the Largest Remainder Method, which he said better preserves proportional representation.
He also flagged the three-seat cap under the law as a major distortion, saying it encourages fragmentation and weakens true proportional representation.
Citing studies showing the growing presence of political dynasties and business-linked groups in the partylist bloc, Muga warned that the system is drifting away from its intended purpose.
“Unless reforms are undertaken, the partylist system risks losing public legitimacy altogether,” he said.
He proposed restoring the two-percent threshold, adopting the LRM for seat allocation, removing the three-seat cap, and tightening safeguards against dynasties and vested interests.
“The rules of representation determine whose voices are heard in Congress,” Muga said. “If we are serious about inclusion, we must repair the structural flaws that have deformed the partylist system.”
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