Election watchdog Kontra Daya has raised concerns over the upcoming party-list elections, revealing that a majority of leading groups do not truly represent the marginalized sectors they are meant to serve.
In a recent report, the group found that more than half of the frontrunners in the 2025 party-list race have ties to political dynasties and large businesses, contradicting the original purpose of the party-list system, which is to give a voice to the underrepresented in Congress.
“Of the 155 party-list groups vying for seats, 55.13 percent fail to represent marginalized communities,” Kontra Daya stated. The organization also flagged numerous survey frontrunners for alleged political affiliations and questionable advocacies.
Among the party-list groups singled out were 4Ps, ACT-CIS, Duterte Youth, Ako Bicol, FPJ Bantay Bayanihan, Tingog Sinirangan, and TGP. Kontra Daya highlighted the dominance of political dynasties, citing 4Ps’ connection to the family of senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos, ACT-CIS’ ties to the Tulfo and Yap families, and Tingog Sinirangan’s links to the Romualdez clan. Meanwhile, Ako Bicol and TGP were noted for their backing by big businesses, while Duterte Youth was flagged for its military ties and history of red-tagging.
In total, 86 party-list organizations were flagged based on three key issues: involvement in corruption scandals, dubious advocacies, and lack of transparency.
At a forum held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao emphasized that the high number of questionable groups in the race is a cause for concern.
