Some party-list nominations are for sale, Bayan Muna rep says

Some party-list nominations are for sale, since persons interested in becoming marginalized groups’ representatives can do so for a fee of anywhere from three to P10 million. This was disclosed by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares in a chance interview on Tuesday, citing an account of a colleague. Colmenares said that the colleague was offered to become the first nominee of a party-list group in exchange for P10 million. He said that nomination for the second seat costs P5 million while the third seat P3 million. "Nagiging raket talaga siya (It really becomes a money-making venture)," he said. He refused to divulge the name of his source but said that his colleague refused the offer and ended up seeking a congressional seat without a party-list organization. The lawmaker issued the statement after his group Bayan Muna asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify presidential son Pampanga Rep. Jose Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo from seeking a party-list seat in the 2010 polls. Colmenares said that Arroyo, along with other administration-linked party-list nominees, do not really represent the marginalized and the underrepresented. He cited various party-list organizations whose nominees are either former government officials or related to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. These are:

• Alliance for Labor and Employment's Erlinda De Leon (Mrs. Arroyo's first cousin) and Catalina Bagasina (Pampanga provincial board member),
• 1-UTAK's Angelo Reyes (former energy secretary) and Vigor Mendoza (former board member of the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board),
• Sagip Party-list's Romeo Maganto (former police official) and Evangeline Palparan (wife of retired military Major General Jovito Palparan),
• Anak's Eliseo dela Paz (former Philippine National Police comptroller) and Eduardo Octaviano (former police senior superintendent),
• APOI's Major General Melchor Rosales (administartor of the Office of Civil Defense),
• ARARO's Quirino dela Torre (former PNP regional 3 chief superintendent), and
• Kasangga's Teodorico Haresco (a businessman who was involved in the President's Bridge Program)

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told GMANews.TV that it was the first time he heard of nominations for sale, though he said he agrees that party-list groups should represent the marginalized and the underrepresented. "You're not supposed to sell nominations," he said. To investigate the matter, someone should a file a complaint with the Comelec, together with details of the supposed transaction or offer. "Kung may ganyan ireklamo nila, they can file naman (If there are issues like that, they should file a petition)," he said. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV