By Juliane Judilla
Election watchdog Kontra Daya, alongside the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), Inc. and Vote Report PH, revealed that more than half of the party-list groups running in the 2025 elections fail to represent the marginalized sectors they are meant to serve.
In a media forum at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Feb. 12, Kontra Daya highlighted that many of these groups are linked to political dynasties, big businesses, or the military and police forces.
Political Dynasties and Business Interests
Kontra Daya’s monitoring of the Dec. 2024 and Jan. 2025 Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys flagged seven party-list groups allegedly hijacking the system:
- 4PS – tied to the Abalos family
- ACT-CIS – linked to the Tulfo and Yap clans
- Duterte Youth – flagged for military connections and a history of red-tagging
- Ako Bicol – has strong ties to the Sunwest conglomerate
- FPJ Bantay Bayanihan – linked to the Poe Llamanzares, Dolor, and Paton families
- Tingog Sinirangan – associated with the Romualdez family
- TGP – connected to Teravera, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractor
Kontra Daya raised concerns about political dynasties controlling party-lists, particularly 4PS, ACT-CIS, and Tingog Sinirangan.
“ACT-CIS has extended the influence of the Tulfo political clan from the Senate to the House of Representatives and even to an appointed Cabinet position,” the group noted.
Party-Lists Under Scrutiny
Of the 156 party-list groups participating in the 2025 elections, Kontra Daya identified 86 groups (55.13%) with red flags due to:
- Political dynasty links
- Corruption cases
- Dubious advocacy claims
The group also warned that some nominees provide vague or incomplete qualifications, raising doubts about their true motivations.
Kontra Daya singled out Tingog Sinirangan, closely tied to the Romualdez family, which wields significant influence in Congress.
It also criticized ACT-CIS, pointing out the Tulfo family’s growing political reach and its ties to the Yap dynasty.
Hidden Nominees and Voter Awareness
Kontra Daya urged voters to examine all 10 nominees of each party-list, as political clans may strategically place family members at lower ranks to avoid public scrutiny.
“It is possible for members of political clans, including incumbent party-list representatives, to be listed not in the top three nominees but in the bottom numbers. This should remind the public to scrutinize all 10 party-list nominees,” said Dr. Danilo Arao of Kontra Daya.
With the 2025 elections approaching, Kontra Daya called on voters to ensure that the party-list system serves the marginalized and not political dynasties or corporate interests.
“Let us continue to prepare, stay vigilant, and take action. Voting alone is not enough. We must critically examine what is happening around us,” Arao added.
