Watchdog: Most party-list reps not for marginalized sectors

Election watchdog Kontra Daya stated that the majority of the 63 elected party-list representatives do not genuinely represent the marginalized sectors as intended by the Party-List System Act.

In a data set released in February 2025, Kontra Daya found that 40 of the incoming party-list lawmakers, or 63.49 percent, are affiliated with groups that have ties to political dynasties, big business, or the police and military.

Some nominees also face corruption cases, promote questionable advocacies, or lack publicly available information.

The Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon party-lists, whose proclamations were suspended by the Comelec due to disqualification petitions, were among those flagged by Kontra Daya.

Of the 54 party-list groups proclaimed as winners so far, 34 were flagged by Kontra Daya, including 20 linked to political dynasties, nine tied to business interests, four connected to military or police institutions, three with questionable advocacies, and one with insufficient background details.

Kontra Daya urged for public pressure on the 20th Congress to pass an anti-dynasty law and amend the party-list law to ensure true representation for the marginalized and underrepresented.

The Party-List System Act was designed to ensure proportional representation for marginalized and underrepresented Filipinos in the House of Representatives.