TOWARDS A GENUINE PHILIPPINE POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM. Representatives from major political parties pose with political and electoral experts during the Multi-party Dialogue on Political Party Development.
PASIG CITY - Representatives from major political parties in the Philippines agreed on the need to pass a law penalizing political turncoatism or party-switching during the Multi-party Dialogue on Political Party Development organized by non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition PARTICIPATE last April 29.
Following presentations on strengthening political parties and ensuring sectoral participation in political parties, the group decided that genuine political party reforms should restrict political turncoatism (“balimbing”), ensure fiscal transparency on party expenditures, and increase women representation in political parties.
In his message, PARTICIPATE Chief of Party Dr. Julio Teehankee said that these reforms could set higher standards for political parties and candidates.
“Political parties that are poorly institutionalized, reliant on personal identity of their candidates and lack a coherent ideology or principle, will fail to stand for any particular policy agenda,” he said. “These parties will often struggle to establish themselves as viable and sustainable institutions within a democratic system.”
PUSHING REFORMS. PARTICIPATE Chief of Party Dr. Julio Teehankee presents a summary of proposed political reforms on political party development in the Philippines.
According to Dr. Teehankee, the ongoing debate over the Political Party Development Act is a testament to the daunting challenges of implementing meaningful reforms as lawmakers continue to grapple with its complexities.
Present during the summit were Aksyon Demokratiko Chairperson Ernest Ramel Jr., Akbayan Party (Akbayan) Youth National Secretary General Khylla Meneses, Bayan Muna Party-list (BAYAN MUNA) Chairperson Atty. Neri Colmenares, Labor Party of the Philippines (LPP) Vice President Dr. Oscar Morado, Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) representative Dio Remollo, Liberal Party (LP) Vice Chairperson Atty. Kit Belmonte, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) Public Information Chairperson Jonathan Malaya, and Partido Reporma representative Atty. Vincent Noel Aureus.
The party representatives also acknowledged the need to strengthen the linkages between political parties and civil society organizations.
PARTICIPATE is set to meet with other party leaders to gather broader support for the unbundled political and electoral reforms.