PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has said that the party-list system is being exploited by wealthy politicians, citing that many of the party-list leaders do not represent the marginalized sectors. “The rich people fund the party-lists. They are named after laborers but their nominees are…millionaires,” he said in his speech in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday night. The President did not name names. Based on the summary of Statements, Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of congressmen as of December 2018 released on Wednesday, Rep. Michael L. Romero of the One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals (1 PACMAN) Party-list remained the richest member of the House of Representatives with a P7.858-billion net worth, up from P7.291 billion in 2017. Sought for comment during a press briefing at the Palace on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said that it could be possible that the President wants the party-list system in the country abolished. “Baka papunta roon kung ganyan ang sentimyento niya or baka gusto niya na iyong nagre-represent (Perhaps that is where his sentiment is going, or maybe he wants that representative should be) coming from the sector[s],” Mr. Panelo said. Mr. Panelo, however, said the matter is up to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and that the President was just floating an idea. “He is expressing an idea and that’s for the Comelec to respond to it.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

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