Election watchdogs warn voters not to confuse party lists with government programs

An election watchdog on Saturday warned the public of a party-list group bearing the same name as the government program.

In a statement Saturday, Contra Daya noted in her data-testing initiative that the Palaguin Aung Pankabuhayang Pilipino (4PS) party-list group had a similar logo and abbreviated form to the Pagtabayin government.‘The conditional cash transfer program is known as 4Ps.

“It would be wrong for a party-list group to claim that the 4Ps abbreviation uses the same abbreviations as other party-list groups that use familiar abbreviations, such as BHW (health workers) and OFW (foreign Filipino workers),” it says.

The election watchdog noted that the general size and structure of the party-list group’s logo was similar to the government’s institutional poverty alleviation strategy.

Rated as power cons “False” Claim 4Ps team-list group‘s acronym cannot be confused with DSWD‘s 4Ps program.”

Government‘s 4Ps – Or the Pantaweed Pamiliang Pilipino program – Launched in 2008 as a temporary poverty alleviation project.

Under the law, the government’s goal is to provide adequate social services, provide full employment and improve the quality of life in the marginalized sector.

The Department of Budget and Management had earlier said the government would spend P115.7 billion on social assistance programs this year.

Contra Daya said it was not surprising that the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the agency implementing 4Ps, “Condemns use of 4Ps abbreviations by party-list groups and calls for repeal of the latter‘s Securities and Exchange Commission Registration.”

Last month, Paul Watchdog also conducted a survey which found that out of 10 party-listed groups in this year’s election, about seven big business and political groups have been hijacked.

These parties represented vague advocacy, involving the government or the military, including current local officials, and candidates who have been indicted in court, it said. Under the Party-List Systems Act, elected officials from these groups must be included in the “marginal and under-represented sectors.”“

Party-list nominees for one-fifth of the House of Representatives.

Political analysts have previously called on Kamlek to review the party-listing system.

“The dominance of the political dynasty of the partial-list system is another proof of the decline of our political system,” Michael Henry LI says. Usinko was a senior research fellow at the Atenio de Manila University Policy Center last month.

“I understand that the Kamlaks are limited by the party-list law and the guidelines laid down by conventional jurisprudence, but they cannot ignore the fact that the constitutional purpose of the party-list system is no longer being fulfilled.“ He said. – John Victor d. Ordonez