party talks, part two

A resounding affirmation is given to Olivares-Cunanan’s opinion column in PDI (dated April 28, 2007) on the call to review the party list system here in our country. There are far, far too many irrelevant partylists sprouting about, with more surfacing on each election (and mid-term election), clamoring to justify its existence – to supposedly give the much needed voice for their proportional represented constituents.

I was commuting home from work one sunny Thursday afternoon when I literally saw a carpet of promotional flyers laying about along Aurora Cubao. I wanted to reach down and grab a piece but thought twice since I was sitting on the front passenger of the jeepney, and one swoop from a neighboring vehicle could effectively decapitate me. I also thought of disembarking to pick up a piece but I feared the thought of the driver screwing me and saying that I should pay again.

Anywho, I’ve been noticing that more and more partlist organizations are having useless / irrelevant / redundant advocacies, and some are so generic, that they don’t really constitute as proportional representation of the marginalized and unrepresented.

Case in point for CIBAC (Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption), SANLAKAS, BAYAN MUNA, BANAT (Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency), GABRIELA, Abanse Pinay!, ANWARAY, ANAK Mindanao, and a boatload of others (most others are so obscure that you’d think they randomly choose words just to make up a mnemonic).

Party lists concerning anti political dynasties, generic partylists about nationalism, and partylists with the same advocacies, are simply, stupid. As for partylists concerning regional representation, think about it. Why else would you vote for your congressman? It’s simply redundant. Come May 14th, my vote goes to the truly marginalized and unrepresented – ANAKPAWIS, among others. (by the way, if ever you’re affiliated to one of these, or know people who do, please do not hunt me down, heheh)

There should be a party list for janitors, garbage men, and metro aides, collectively, for sanitation engineers, because they’ll need all the help after the elections, removing the countless posters and sweeping the equally countless flyers. Heheh.