Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia announced that the 1987 Constitution would need to be amended for the abolition of the party-list system.
Garcia’s statement follows President Duterte’s call on the incoming administration to immediately begin the process of amending the Constitution in connection with the recommendation for the abolition of the party-list system amid claims that the leftist group is using it to destroy the government.
According to Garcia, the various sectors that will be allowed to be represented in Congress must be identified.
In Garcia’s view an election lawyer, recommends identifying sectors or groups that need to be represented in Congress rather than abolishing it.
He said there should be a definite number of congressional seats to be allocated for each marginalized and underrepresented sector.
Under the 1987 Constitution, party-list representatives make up 20 per centum of the total number of representatives including those under the party list.
The sectors defined in the constitution are labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and other constitutional sectors other than the religious sectors.
Meanwhile, the Comelec plans to announce the party-list groups that will be given a spot in the House of Representatives this week.