MANILA — Senator Bam Aquino has filed a bill seeking to overhaul the party-list system to ensure that its representatives genuinely come from and work for marginalized and underrepresented sectors, while introducing stronger safeguards to curb corruption.

Under Senate Bill No. 1559, or the “Party List Reform Act,” Aquino said the measure aims to “guarantee that the party-list system truly serves the many and empowers ordinary Filipinos to have a real say in their Congress,” and to prevent further misuse of the mechanism.

Aquino cited a 2025 study by election watchdog Kontra Daya, which found that 86 of the 156 accredited party-list groups in the 2025 elections were linked to political dynasties or large corporations. Of the 63 party-list groups proclaimed on May 19 as part of the 20th Congress, 40 were among those flagged in the report.

Various organizations, including the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (ICSI), have also called for reforms to restore the party-list system’s original intent.

“These findings underscore an urgent and undeniable truth: the party-list system is being exploited by the powerful at the expense of those it was designed to uplift,” Aquino said.

The bill requires the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to hold public evidentiary hearings to verify whether organizations genuinely represent the sectors they claim to serve, including ensuring that their nominees are actual members of those sectors.

It also seeks to extend key deadlines: the registration period for party-list groups from 90 to 120 days before elections, and the release of the certified list of eligible organizations from 60 to 90 days prior.

The measure tightens rules on nominees by requiring groups to submit at least six nominees, whose list must be approved by the organization’s highest decision-making body. It also disqualifies nominees who are related within the third degree to any incumbent elected official, as well as individuals who are or have been government contractors, including officers of companies involved in public infrastructure or other state-funded projects.

“Through these reforms, this measure ensures that the party-list system truly serves the many, not the few, and empowers ordinary Filipinos to have a real say in their Congress. It is a step toward a more inclusive, accountable, and meaningful democracy and the kind of government the Filipino people deserve,” Aquino said.