By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Note: This is the son of Gloria Arroyo who shopped for wines at a luxurious Makati Mall while people were dying during the Ondoy tragedy.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified a big businessman who wished to speak for small entrepreneurs, but ruled that a wealthy political scion can represent marginalized security guards and tricycle drivers in the House of Representatives.
The Comelec has voted 4-2-1 to allow Juan Miguel “Mikey†Arroyo to represent the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy, but Election Chair Jose Melo said the poll body’s latest ruling and that on another party-list group, Ang Kasangga, were “contradictory.â€
Election Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle, Elias Yusoph and Armando Velasco—all members of the second division except for Yusoph—approved Arroyo’s assumption of office as the first nominee of a group that claims to speak for the guards and drivers.
Commissioners Gregorio Larrazabal and Rene Sarmiento of the first division dissented, saying a “yes†vote would be a betrayal of the party-list law.
Melo did not take part in the voting.
Asked on Tuesday if it would be dangerous for the Comelec to issue two conflicting decisions on party-list groups, he replied in the affirmative. He also said those opposed to the en banc ruling could seek a restraining order from the Supreme Court.
An insult to Filipinos -
kapal ng mga mukha ng mga walang hiya...
Militant groups are determined to block Arroyo, the eldest child of the former First Couple and a former representative of Pampanga, from again taking a seat in the House.
Through its secretary general Renato Reyes, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the Comelec ruling “is utterly despicable and truly destroys the essence of the party-list system.â€
Reyes also said Arroyo’s presence at the opening of Congress on July 26 would “insult the entire Filipino people.â€
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, whose colleagues had earlier sought Arroyo’s disqualification as Ang Galing Pinoy nominee, said the Comelec ruling allowed those in power and in positions of influence to coopt the party-list system.
He said Bayan Muna would appeal the ruling before the high court.
Haresco’s case
Casiño wondered how Arroyo’s case differed from Ang Kasangga Rep. Teodorico Haresco, who was earlier disqualified by the Comelec on grounds that he does not belong to the underrepresented sector of microentrepreneurs that the group speaks for.
In Haresco’s case, Casiño noted, the Comelec said it was unfathomable that a big businessman like him would truly understand the plight of microentrepreneurs.
“The Comelec en banc decision allowing Mikey Arroyo to assume his seat as representative of Ang Galing Pinoy contradicts the poll body’s earlier ruling on the Kasangga case,†Casiño said.
“The implication of the ruling is that now, multimillionaires and incumbent elected officials can run under the party-list system. This is an abomination that totally contradicts the letter and spirit of the party-list system and delivers it on a silver platter to the already rich and powerful sectors of society,†he said.
Melo declined to discuss the impact of the two rulings. The case of Ang Kasangga has yet to reach the commission en banc.
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