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(Privilege speech delivered by Rep. Agapito H. Guanlao in plenary at the House of Representatives,
December 5, 2012)
MR. SPEAKER, I RISE ON A MATTER OF PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE PRIVILEGE ON THE MATTER OF
COMELEC’S CLOUDED AND APPARENTLY ARBITRARY DECISIONS RENDERED ON PARTYLIST
ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDINLG THE BUTIL FARMERS PARTY.
THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS HAS PUBLICLY MADE KNOWN ITS POSITION THAT IT DESIRES TO
LESSEN THE NUMBER OF ACCREDITED PARTYLIST ORGANIZATIONS SAYING, “OUR TARGET IS TO
TRIM DOWN THE LIST OF PARTYLIST GROUPS THAT WILL TAKE PART IN THE ELECTIONS. IT SHOULD
NOT BE MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD IN 2010”.
WITH THE MENTIONED AS THE OBJECTIVE, THE COMELEC RULED THE DISQUALIFICATION OF BUTIL,
STATING IN ITS RESOLUTION THAT, “HOWEVER THE SECTORS WHICH BUTIL REPRESENT,
AGRICULTURAL AND COOPERATIVE SECTORS ARE NOT AMONG THE MARGINALIZED AND
UNDERREPRESENTED SECTORS. BUTIL FAILED TO CONVINCE THIS COMMISSION THAT THE
AGRICULTURAL AND COOPERATIVE SECTORS ARE BOTH MARGINALIZED AND
UNDERREPRESENTED”.
STILL IF COMELEC BOTHERED TO DIG DEEPER INTO OUR HISTORY, THEY WILL FIND THAT SECOND
AND THIRD GENERATION MEMBERS OF THE PEASANT FAMILIES THAT WERE FIRST RECRUITED INTO
THE PEASANT MOVEMENT UNDER THE SOSYALISTA PARTY AND THE HUK MOVEMENT ARE
CURRENTLY MEMBERS OF BUTIL. THE LATE NICANOR “ KA KANING” MANGIDUYOS, A TOP HUK
LEADER, WAS IN FACT THE THEORETICIAN AND STRATEGIST OF THE SANDUGUAN , BEFORE ITS
EVOLUTION INTO THE BUTIL PARTY.
MR. SPEAKER, ANG LAHAT NG MGA PANUKALANG ITO AY DI KATHANG-ISIP LAMANG NG MGA
PINUNO NG BUTIL FARMERS PARTY KUNDI MGA DIREKTANG PANUKALA PO NG MAHIGIT 700,000
NA MGA BOTANTE AT KASAPI NG PARTIDO. ANG LAHAT PO NG MGA ITO AY NANGGALING MISMO
SA KANILANG HANAY AT ANG PARTIDO AY NAGSILBING DALUYAN LAMANG NG MGA ITO.
DAHIL DITO MR. SPEAKER, HINAHAMON KO PO NGAYON ANG COMELEC NA SABIHING ANG
LAHAT NG ITO AY DI PARA SA MGA MALILIIT NA MAGSASAKA, MANGINGISDA AT MANGGAGAWANG
BUKID! SABIHIN NILA NGAYON NA ANG BUTIL FARMERS PARTY AY DI SUMASALAMIN SA INTERES
NG MGA SEKTOR ITO! NGAYON, SABIHIN NINYO SA AMIN, MGA KAGALANG-GALANG NA
MIYEMBRO NG KOMISYON, NA ANG BUTIL FARMERS PARTY AY ISANG BOGUS NA PARTIDO
KATULAD NG IPINAHIHIWATIG NG DESISYON NINYO!
TILA DI PA RIN MALINAW SA KOMISYON ANG INTENSYON NG PARTYLIST LAW. MR. SPEAKER, IN
AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAN THE MESS THAT THEY THEMSELVES CREATED, THEY NOW INVENTED THEIR
OWN DEFINITION OF “MARGINALIZED SECTORS” THAT THEY NOW VICIOUSLY USE IN THE PURSUIT
OF THEIR OBJECTIVE AT TRIMMING-DOWN THE NUMBER OF PARTYLIST ORGANIZATIONS. NOW,
THE MESS THEY CREATED, THEY ALL DUMP IN THE SUPREME COURT.
RELATED WITH THE DISQUALIFICATION OF THE BUTIL FARMERS PARTY WILL BE THE
DISENFRANCHISEMENT NOT ONLY OF THE FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THE
PARTY. WE HAVE TO TAKE NOTE MR. SPEAKER THAT FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK ALSO HAVE
FAMILIES HENCE DISQUALIFYING THE BUTIL FARMERS PARTY WOULD MEAN THE
DISCONTINUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF FARMERS, STOPPAGE OF
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND THE END OF ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LIVELIHOOD
PROJECTS.
WHAT MAY BE MOST BRAZEN AND BLATANT MANIFESTATION OF ABUSE OF DISCRETION THAN THE
COMMISSIONER SAYING, “KUNG SA AKIN LANG, WALA NA SANANG PARTYLIST.” HE WAS ALSO
QUOTED SAYING THAT THE “PARTYLIST SYSTEM IS A JOKE”.
LASTLY, MR. SPEAKER, IF THE COMELEC INDEED IS THE VANGUARD OF DEMOCRACY, THEN IT
SHOULD NOT ALLOW DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF BUTIL’S MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OR CONFINE
TO THE DUSTBINS THE MORE THAN 500,000 VOTES THE PARTY GARNERED IN THE LAST
ELECTIONS.
WITH THIS MR. SPEAKER, MY DEAR COLLEAGUES, LET US MUSTER OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH
AGAINST THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO PRESIDE OVER THE DEATH OF THE PARTYLIST SYSTEM, THAT NO
LESS THAN THIS BODY BUILT IN ORDER FOR THE MARGINALIZED MAY HAVE THEIR VOICE IN THE
HALLS OF CONGRESS.
THANK YOU!