HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima, together with fellow lawmakers from the Liberal Party of the Philippines, has filed a measure aimed at strengthening and professionalizing political parties to ensure they serve as genuine instruments of national development and good governance.
In filing House Bill No. 7914 or the “Political Party System Reform Act”, De Lima and her fellow LP bloc solons Reps. Adrian Michael Amatong (3rd District, Zamboanga del Norte), Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat Islands), Jaime Fresnedi (Lone District, Muntinlupa City), Cielo Krisel Lagman (1st District, Albay), and Alfonso V. Umali Jr. (2nd District, Oriental Mindoro), aim to transform political parties into stable, programmatic, and accountable institutions, rather than patronage-based and personality-oriented organizations used for political convenience.
“Political parties are the cornerstone of a functioning and robust democracy, yet in the Philippines, they have long remained among its weakest and least institutionalized actors. Despite numerous attempts throughout the country’s history to reform the orientation and behavior of political parties, these initiatives have failed to produce transformative and sustained changes,” the bill read.
“A principal reason for this failure is the absence of a comprehensive and institutionalized legal framework to govern, regulate, and support the Philippine political party system. Without such framework, political parties remain structurally weak, excessively dependent on private financing, and vulnerable to undue influence and corruption,” it added.
HB 7194 seeks to address these systemic deficiencies by introducing comprehensive reforms to the political party system, establishing clear standards for the registration and accreditation of national political parties, mandating internal democracy and ethical governance, encouragement of establishing political think-tanks, and institutionalizing transparent and merit-based processes for the nomination and selection of candidates.
This bill also mandates the creation of a State Subsidy Fund to augment the operating budgets of qualified and accredited national political parties, wherein comprehensive reporting, auditing, and performance monitoring will be required to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
HB 7914 likewise introduces firm measures to penalize acts of political turncoatism and address the prevalence of so-called “political butterflies” who switch party affiliations with little to no regard for ideology or party programs.
Under this measure, political turncoatism refers to the change of political party affiliation by any candidate, whether or not elected, within one (1) year prior to the next election and within one (1) year after the immediately preceding election.
“Political opportunism and turncoatism should never be encouraged, much less tolerated, as they undermine the values of honor, integrity, and accountability essential to public service,” the LP solons said.
“By strengthening political parties as pillars of democracy, this measure advances constitutional principles of transparency, accountability, and meaningful political participation, and reinforces public trust in the political and electoral process” they added.
As former Senator, De Lima filed a similar bill to strengthen the political party system during the 18th Congress.
“Hangad natin ang pagkakaroon ng mga partido politikal na pinapanday ng prinsipyo at tunay na serbisyo sa mga Pilipino, hindi ng interes ng politiko o kung sinong nasa pwesto,” she stressed.
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