THUR5DAY APRTL 11, 201e ii A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Partv-list svstem
has be'en bastardized
stranglehold on political power. What
the hieh-minded Con-Com memben
ctearlihad in mind were the 'margin-
alized" sectors, such as the fisherfolk,
the indigenous peoples (Ps), the small
and micro-enterprises (SMEs) and the
THE final stage of the drafting of the household helPers.
1973 Constitution took place after tlte What has hapPened to the PafiY-
placement of the nation under martial list system provision of the Consti-
law by President Ferdinand Marcos, tution of 198?--{he Year in which it
and the faished document did not un- was ratifie4 properly, by the Fitipino
dergo the coDsliturionally prescribed people-is an example of tbe saYing
:'The road to hell is paved with good
ratification process. Upon her ir:stalla-
tion as ftesident folowing the success intentions." Looking at the profile of
of the EDSA Revolution, Corazon C' the long and ever-lengthening list of
Aqino scrapped the l9?3 Coostitu- partylist Represeotatives, the Con-
fon, promulgated- a Revolutionary Com members wbo are still with us no
'- Constitution and longer recognize,
-'. ---" -- - ''- - I am sre, tfieir
"p- XXW:
proceeded to
*l't 5C inen '- --' cll-intenioned

f"Jf#".H lf, on* osain, vot:ers ilffi"il#il

Commission about th't partv'
Will be ASked tO
!1T;11i1,,$"j ;;u ;i";;; ;;" ihot ho' l'*trfi[,:*t
new Basic Law. become the\fevtest words that read-
ilv
The march- AbOminAtiOi in the come mind

il%:*l3'Jtr 1gU cii'iii,ti",l1 T.;:fSY.tr;

-to.

aid
ben of th6 Con- torted' 'hi-
Com was to draft W -''-' jacked'. With all
a Consiitution due respect to
(l) that woutd rernove the features of my Kapampangan friends, theY have
tbe 1973 Constirution that made possi- it right when they pronounce the P in
ble Ferdinand Marcos's assumption of pariy list like an F.
dictaiorial powen; (2) that would im- Webster's and tbe Oxford Diction-
prove the nation's govemance struc- arywill have to be revised ifone is to
ture and (3) that would usher ir a bet- acc€pt that billionaire Mikee Rome-
ter life for the majority ofthe Filipino rc's segrrent of Philippine society-
people. Composed ofmen and women which segrnent is that?-is a margin-
who represented all the significant sec- alized sector. Given the reverence thal
tors of Philippine society--iacluding the powerful Catholic Church acords
individuals associated with Mr. Mar- to the human fetus--rememb€r the
cos, such as his Minister oflabor and Church's virulent opposition to the
Employment-the Con-Com went Reproductive llealth law? -how can
to work quickly in order to meet the Buhay be said to be rePresenting a
before-yearend deadline set by Presi- marginalized sector? And are not the
dent Cory Aquino for the comPletion regular Representatives of Bicol and
oftheir task. Eastem \4sayas meant to ensure tbat
One of the areas of the nation's their Ako Bicol and Ang Waray con-
democratic structure that thb Commis- stituents are not marginalized? Truly,
sioners selected for quick remedial ac- the word 'marginalized' has ceased,
tion was this country's political party in the coni€xi of Philippine politics,
sysem. Believing lhat tbe decades- to mean what tbe dictionaries say it
old system of tuo ddminaot political means."Arryoiiercan now'p{aitl fbat a
parties-the Nacionalista Party and group of which he is a Part is a mar-
t e Liberal Pady had been largelY ginalized sector--veo ilby no stretch 'Facra-- A5'
responsible for ttre flaq's aad sins of ofthe imaqi[ation can it be so consid-
DL:l:-:-- 1'..n* i- airvl *r it ineluded in the Cxrme-