The Philippine Online Chronicles

In a surprising outcome of the partylist polls, newcomer Ako Bikol (AKB) has topped the party-list elections, beating seasoned groups that have topped past elections such as Buhay Hayaang Yumabong, Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens, Akbayan, Bayan Muna, and many others.

According to the partial Comelec tally as of May 20, the top 10 party-lists are:

1. Ako Bicol Partylist - 1,512,153
2. Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens Philippines Inc. - 1,257,703
3. Buhay Hayaan Yumabong - 1,233,672
4. Akbayan - 1,029,872
5. Gabriela Women's Party - 979,586
6. Cooperative NATCCO Network Party - 932,717
7. ABONO - 747,539
8. Bayan Muna - 724,714
9. An-waray - 711,030
10. 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy - 669,531

Besides AKB, only the 1^st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy does not have a representative in the outgoing 14th Congress.

The unexpected outcome has led many to ask who are behind AKB, and how a regional party-list was able to secure the top spot in this year’s polls.

In an Inquirer article, the AKB leadership expressed confidence of an easy win in the elections, saying “a seat in congress is as easy as having a barber’s cut.”

According to lawyer Rodel M. Batocabe, AKB’s party president and one of its three nominees said they are emerging as the poll’s front-runner because their activities were “already visible and felt by the people even before the election period started.”

In a follow up report, the partylist group said the fight was never easy as they had to convince voters, including Bicolano political leaders that they are sincere in their desire to help in developing the region and in protecting the interests and welfare of Bicolanos.

For 'Bicolanos'

According to their website, AKB is “a movement composed of individuals who are either residents of Bicol region, born to Bicolano parents, have resided in Bicol or simply interested in the promotion of the welfare and interests of the region and its people, collectively known as ‘Bicolanos.’

Bicol region (Region V), consists of six provinces - Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. It has one independent chartered city, Naga City, and six component cities - Iriga, Legazpi, Ligao, Masbate, Sorsogon and Tabaco.

It has an estimated voting population of 2.5 million, which means that based on the results of the last party-list election in 2007, AKB can have three seats in the lower house if it gets half of the region’s total number of registered voters.

Before it registered as a partylist, Ako Bicol is a foundation. It started as SOS Bicol, a rescue and relief program organized after super typhoon ‘Reming’ ravaged Albay in 2006. The group also sponsors livelihood programs for displaced Bicolanos affected by Mayon volcano’s activity last year.

In October until December of last year, the group gathered donations for victims of typhoon “Ondoy” in Marikina City, Quezon City and Rizal.

The party’s endorser is Bicolano veteran actor Eddie Garcia.

'Dummy' party-list?

Republic Act 7941 or the Partylist System Act is a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). A party means either a political party or a sectoral party or a coalition of parties.

But AKB is a regional political party. In his column in the Bicol Mail, lawyer Luis Ruben General said, “Unless it is implying that Bicolanos are now marginalized and distinctly disadvantaged, “Ako Bicol” should not be participating in the party-list system at all. The reason is quite obvious. Representation in the lower house of Congress is already by territory, which means representation usually by geo-ethnicity (“usually” since in Dato Arroyo’s case it is not by ethnicity). Our congressmen represent their individual districts, and they are supposed to “to work for the interest and welfare” of the people in their districts. “Ako Bicol” is suggesting to duplicate what our Bicol congressmen are already mandated to be doing. The congressmen directly elected by districts are our traditional “territorial” representatives, to distinguish them from the sectoral representatives who are elected at large to represent a particular marginalized sector. To merge these two kinds of representation defeat the very purpose of the party-list system.”

Some critics says that there is more behind Ako Bikol than what the party’s leaders claim.

According to Tessa Lopez, public information officer of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Bicol (BAYAN-Bicol), AKB is a dummy party-list of Malacañang similar to Ang Galing Pinoy and other ‘bogus’ party-lists.

Lopez said AKB party-list should be called the “Gloria Bicol Party-list.”

The 2010 elections saw the rise of party-list groups accused of being supported and/or funded by president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in order to secure more allies who will support her bid for the House Speakership.

Lopez pointed out that AKB’s first nominee Christopher Co is the brother of Elizaldy Co, who was identified by election watchdog Kontra Daya, as a large-scale contractor and businessman in Bicol region and a known ally of Arroyo.

Co’s family conglomerate owns Misbis Lands, the developer of Embacardero waterfront, a multi-million peso leisure project in Albay that is opposed by militant groups and informal settlers in the area. They also have business interests in construction, real estate, hotel resort development and memorial plan.

The Cos also own Sunwest Group of Companies that operates Sunwest Water and Electric Co. (Suweco) that recently started the USD 9 million Misibis solar, wind and mini-hydro power project in Cagraray Island.

Aside from real estate, retail and leisure development projects, Co is also set to develop some USD300 million worth of renewable energy projects in Antique and Catanduanes.

A report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) identified Hi-Tone Construction, owned by the Cos, as one of the most favored contractors of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The company reportedly got P6.9 billion worth of contracts from DPWH from 2005 to 2008.

The other nominees, Batocabe and Alfredo Garbin Jr., are also reported allies of the administration. Garbin served as a councilor in Legazpi City.

BAYAN-Bicol questioned where AKB, a partylist supposedly representing a marginalized sector, got the funding for its massive political advertisements. The group has also accused AKB of paying P1,000 to P2,000 to barangay captains in the region, two weeks before the May 10 elections. This would amount to as much as P3.5 to P6.5 million, for the 3,471 total barangays in the region.

Lopez asserts that their information came from “insiders” within the party-list.

No stand

Meanwhile, in another article from the Bicol Mail, General questioned AKB’s stand on “specific Bicol problems.”

In particular, General pointed out that while the group has been “mouthing the mother of all motherhood statements of fighting poverty,” they have nothing to say about what they can do about the region’s problems of rising unemployment and underemployment, spiraling electric costs, decreasing agricultural production, depletion of fishing grounds, among others.”

He also claimed that the group has no stand on “preserving Bicol culture and dialects, and support to the study of Bicol history and literature.”

AKB, in their website, has denied the allegations made by both Bayan-Bicol and General, saying that their group “has no connection with her [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] whatsoever,” and that they have been active in projects that have made the lives of “fellow Bicolanos” better.

According to Lopez, their group is not against party-lists that would represent Bicolanos, as long as it will “truly represent the region and not the interests of the powers that be and their cohorts.”

“We want party list groups that will really stand by their principles and fight for the betterment of the sector or region that they represent as well as the whole nation,” said Lopez.

According to Comelec, AKB will most likely win the maximum three House seats allowed a party-list group.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites