Marino Party-list's "backdoor to power"

Backdoor to power: Rise of Duterte-allied party-list seen to boost admin's hold
Michael Joe Delizo at May 22 2019

(excerpts)
Political newcomer Marino banked on the support of the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, to secure a win.

Marino’s first nominee is Carlo Lisandro Gonzalez, whose family owns contractor Ulticon Builders Inc.

Reports also said its second nominee, Jose Antonio Lopez, works for Udenna Corp., which is owned by Davao-based tycoon Dennis Uy who maintains close ties with the President.

Rye said it is also likely that other party-list groups will join an alliance with the administration "because, in the end, they also need resources given the ‘pork barrel politics’ we have in the House."

In “pork barrel politics,” Rye explained that those in the opposition often get the least budget allocation.

“In the party-list, you have one shot, one term to initiate your programs so you’re very much dependent with your alliance with the administration. So, it’s not just the idea that they believe in the president, it’s also nature of the system,” he said. “So, you have an institutional angle, and you also have an issue of ideology of political alliance.

Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said the Duterte administration "needs as much numbers as possible [in the House] to push for certain controversial measures" including the shift to a federal system of government and expansion of the tax reform law.

"With regard to the party-list race, it’s really important that the marginalized and underrepresented should really have a voice, but these are being compromised right now,” said Arao, who is also an associate professor at the University of the Philippines.