F'P' Muga II, Ph'D'

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MORE THAN 3 MILLION VOTERS WERE DISENFRANCHISED
BY THE FIRST PARTY RULE

• F.P. Muga II, Ph.D.
• Senior Fellow, CenPEG
• Assoc. Prof., ADMU Math Dept.

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The Philippine Party List System

• A System of Proportional Representation

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The Party List is a System of Proportional
Representation

• A voter is entitled to ONE VOTE
• MANY SEATS are at stake
• more than 50 seats in the Philippines
• The allocation of seats must be FAIR.
• Popularly known as the party-list proportional
  representation system.
• Affirm by RA 7941 (Declaration of Policy)

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The Party List Proportional System Worldwide

• In 69 countries with pure party-list or
  mixed-member proportional systems
• Two Main Allocation Formulas
• Largest remainder method
• Highest average method

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PRINCIPLE OF PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

• Share of seats share of votes
• Expected no. of seats
• Share of votes x total no. of seats

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Qualifying Threshold or Formal Vote Threshold

• Germany 5
• Norway 4
• Poland 7
• Denmark 2
• Philippines 2
• Belgium, Peru and Switzerland 0
• Expected no. of seats
• (No. of votes/Total Qualified Votes) x total no.
  of seats

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10 years of the Philippine Party-List System

• Failing Mark?

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Philippine Party-List System

• declares to promote proportional representation
  (Sec. 2, RA 7941)
• enable participation from the marginalized and
  underrepresented sectors
• 20 of the total number of representatives
• 2 qualifying threshold
• 3-seat cap
• 2-4-6 Comelec Rule in 1998, 2001, 2004 and First
  Party Rule in 2007

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Allocation of Party-List Seats in Congress from
1998-2007
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Principle of Proportional Representation

• Expected Number of Seats
• Share of Votes x Total PL Seats

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1,169,338 VOTES BUHAY IN 2007
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2007 Party List Election (C.R. 33)
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Disenfranchised Voters
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Reasons Why there is failure to reach the 20
mandate, less representation of the marginalized
and violation of the Principle of Proportional
Representation

• Use of Formula
• 2-4-6 Comelec and First Party Rule (Panganiban)
• Ceiling 3-seats
• Floor and Divisor 2

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Recommendation

• Reject the 2-4-6 Comelec Rule and the First Party
  Rule (Panganiban)
• Remove the 3-seat cap and the 2 Divisor
• Use the Largest Remainder Method

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LR Method with 2 Qualifying Threshold (2007 PL
Election)
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LR Method with No Qualifying Threshold Top 19
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LR Method with No Qualifying Threshold Next 23
Qualifying Threshold At 2 18
parties At 0 42 parties
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THANK YOU