by AJLPP
Saturday, Apr. 25, 2009 at 7:01 AM
ajlpp_socal@yahoo.com 213-241-0906 337 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 9026
Militant and Progressive party list bloc lawmakers yesterday continued to express their opposition to the upcoming entry of retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan as representative of Bantay party-list group and Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, the younger sister of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, as representative of party-list group Ang Kasangga.
According to Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza and Anak Pawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, Palparan has no place in the House of Representatives.
“The proclamation of Lulu Arroyo and Palparan as party-list representatives shows the shameless bastardizing of the party-list system by Malacañang. Since when did they represent the marginalized and underrepresented sectors?” Maza said.
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AJLPP Update
April 24, 2009
Progressive Party Lists solons vow to oppose Palparan’s entry to House
04/25/2009
Manila--Militant and Progressive party list bloc lawmakers yesterday continued to express their opposition to the upcoming entry of retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan as representative of Bantay party-list group and Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, the younger sister of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, as representative of party-list group Ang Kasangga.
According to Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza and Anak Pawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, Palparan has no place in the House of Representatives.
“The proclamation of Lulu Arroyo and Palparan as party-list representatives shows the shameless bastardizing of the party-list system by Malacañang. Since when did they represent the marginalized and underrepresented sectors?” Maza said.
She noted that the proclamation of Palparan and Arroyo runs counter to the Supreme Court (SC) decision in Ang Bagong Bayani, Bayan Muna vs Comelec et al., stating that the nominees of party-lists must belong to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors.
Maza, citing the same SC decision, said “neither can the interest of those of the urban poor or the working class be fully represented by an industrialist.”
“Neither can a representative of the balut vendors come from a family that lays the golden egg,” she stressed.
Mariano said the entry of Arroyo and Palparan to the House of Representatives is a mockery of the party-list system.
“The twin entry of Mr. Arroyo’s sister and Palaparan in Congress is a mockery of the party-list system courtesy of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo,” Mariano said.
He added “this will surely result to the further hardening of Malacañang’s grip of the Lower House.”
“We expect Malacañang to make the most of its party-list fronts to further ram anti-people legislations and self-serving political maneuverings,” Mariano noted.
Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño earlier have called on Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo not to proclaim Palparan.
They said Melo, who headed a commission investigating the killings, should know that Palparan was allegedly responsible for the numerous killings and disappearances of members of progressive groups in Mindoro and in Central Luzon where he was assigned during his stint in the Army.
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