Wheeling and dealing

ELECTORAL politics is a game of compromise, and nowhere is the wheeling and dealing more pronounced, and more necessary, than in the election of party list representatives. As PCIJ wrote in the book “The Rulemakers,” in the past elections, pacts were made between party-list groups and traditional politicians (senatorial, congressional and local candidates) to help each other get elected. There’s a simple reason for this: low voter awareness of the party-list system makes it impossible for party-list organizations to earn votes own their own. They need votes from traditional political bailiwicks, supplied by friendly traditional politicians. What the politicians get in return can be anything from support come session time, or warm bodies for poll watching or for rallies, or whatever the party-list group can give in exchange. This has been called the “trapoization” of the party-list system.

The Garci tape, however, shows that the Comelec is part of the party-list wheeling and dealing.

The taped conversations on June 7, 2004, between Commissioner Garcillano and a certain Ruben illustrate this point:

Ruben: Tanong ko lang pare, papaano ‘yung ano natin, sa party-list?

Gary: Hindi ko pa maa-ano kasi hanggang ngayon wala pang usapan ang mga tao tungkol diyan. Tatawagan kita bukas ng tanghali kung anuman.

Ruben: O sige.

Gary: Ano yun? Ano?

Ruben: Yung TUCP at saka ANAD.

Gary: Ay! Wag mo nang dagdagan, mahihirapan tayo niyan.

Ruben: Hindi mas maganda kung lahat ng magkakatabi na yan eh.

Gary: Hindi kasi nag-proclaim na kami. Ang alam ng mag Commissioner and the other people there, mahirap ng kumuha tayo, yung mga malapit, yung hindi na mahahalata kasi….

Ruben: Pero malapit yan ha kesa sa “SMILE”

Gary: Kaya nga bahala na pero ang kasi, pag sabay-sabay na. Sinong pagagawin mo nyan eh itong mga bata hindi na pepwedeng gumalaw eh. Titingnan ko bukas kung anuman.

Three party-list groups are mentioned in this conversation: TUCP (Trade Union Congress Party), ANAD (Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy), and SMILE (Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal sa Ikauunlad ng Lokal na Ekonomiya). Apparently, the person appealing in behalf of the three party list groups was at least five days late.

When this conversation took place on June 7, 2004, it had already been five days since the Comelec, on June 2, 2004, convened as the National Board of Canvassers for Party-List Representatives. On that day, the Comelec declared 15 party-list organizations as winners, proclaiming a total of 23 candidates in all. Although there were supposed to be more winners, the Comelec stopped here. The only exception the Comelec made was for Acmad Tomawis of the party-list group Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino (ALIF) who was proclaimed days later. (See previous post).

To this day, at least three party list groups have been beating at the doors of the Comelec, demanding the proclamation of the rest of the winners. Partido Manggagawa and Luzon Farmers’ Party (BUTIL) both say they have one additional candidate each waiting to be proclaimed. In August 2004, they filed a petition for Mandamus before the Supreme Court to compel the Comelec to do so. The Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), similarly situated, has joined forces with PM and Butil. Like the two groups, CIBAC says its second nominee is entitled to a seat in Congress and that the only thing standing in the way is the Comelec proclamation.

But there are forces at work dictating who gets into the bastion of the political elite that is the House of Representatives. As Garci told his caller: “Hindi ko pa maa-ano kasi hanggang ngayon wala pang usapan ang mga tao tungkol diyan.” Who has the last say in the final composition of party-list representation in the Chamber? That’s a question we’re sure party-list representatives can answer.