Lawmakers reject party-list abolition
The Manila Times · 11/7/2026, 12:16:00 AM Philippine time
Excerpt from The Manila Times. Read the original report below for the complete story.LEADERS of the House of Representatives rejected on Friday calls to abolish the party-list system.House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chairman and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the debate should focus on improving the system rather than scrapping it.”It is not a question of whether or not we should abolish [the party-list system]. That should be taken out of the equation,” Adiong said at a press briefing after the committee’s first public consultation on House Bill (HB) 9906 in Butuan City.Under the measure, party-list organizations would be classified into three categories — advocacy, sectoral and regional — to establish a framework for determining whether they genuinely represent the constituencies they claim to serve.He said the Constitution intended the party-list system to give certain sectors a voice in the legislative process.Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said the need for reforms became more apparent after a 2013 Supreme Court ruling broadened participation in the system, allowing more organizations…