A proposal to tighten the country’s party-list rules has been placed before lawmakers, with Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV urging Congress to revisit how sectoral representatives are chosen and to restore public trust in the system.
Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 1559, known as the “Party-List Reform Act,” arguing that the existing framework has drifted far from its goal of giving marginalized Filipinos a direct voice in legislation. He said the changes he is seeking are intended to strengthen safeguards and eliminate avenues that have allowed powerful interests to enter the system. “It is a step toward a more inclusive, accountable, and meaningful democracy and the kind of government the Filipino people deserve,” he said.
Concerns over the system’s vulnerability were highlighted by a 2025 assessment from election watchdog Kontra Daya, which reported that 86 of the 156 party-list groups that sought accreditation for the 2025 polls had ties to political clans or major business entities. When the 20th Congress convened, 40 of the 63 party-list organizations proclaimed on May 19 were among those flagged in the study.
Civil society institutions have voiced similar worries. Groups such as the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (ICSI) have pressed for reforms that would return the mechanism to its original mission of elevating groups that lack political influence. “These findings underscore an urgent and undeniable truth: the party-list system is being exploited by the powerful at the expense of those it was designed to uplift,” Aquino said.
One of the major provisions in SB 1559 directs the Commission on Elections to open public evidentiary hearings where groups must demonstrate the authenticity of their claimed constituencies. The measure also obliges the poll body to ensure nominees are genuine members of the sectors their organizations purport to represent.
The bill lays out stricter rules on nominees by requiring party-list groups to submit at least six names vetted by their highest decision-making body. Those related within the third degree to any sitting elected official would be barred from being nominated, along with individuals who are or were government contractors or officers of firms engaged in public infrastructure and other state-funded projects.
Aquino’s proposal also seeks to lengthen several deadlines: the registration window for party-list groups would be extended from 90 to 120 days before election day, while the issuance of the certified list of qualified organizations would move from 60 to 90 days ahead of voting.
