Political party in the Philippines
| Magsasaka Partylist | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sector represented | Agriculture (farmers) |
| Seats in the House of Representatives | 1 / 63 (Party-list seats only) |
Magsasaka Partylist, also known as Magkakasama sa Sakahan, Kaunlaran, is a political organization with representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It aims to represent the interest of Filipino farmers.
History
18th Congress
The Magsasaka Partylist took part at the 2019 House of Representatives elections and won a lone seat for the 18th Congress. This seat was filled by Argel Cabatbat, a lawyer and a son of farmers from Guimba, Nueva Ecija.
In June 2019, the chair Soliman Villamin Jr. was expelled from the Magsasaka partylist a move which the leader's faction described as "unceremonious" and illegal.
As party-list representative, Cabatbat co-authored a bill in the Congress proposing the establishment of a Department of Water Resources in a bid to address mismanagement of water resources for irrigation and to assure that ground and surface water to be free from pollution. In January 2022, Cabatbat expressed opposition to the Department of Agriculture's administrative order allowing the importation of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of pelagic fish amidst an alleged national fish shortage.
19th Congress
Magsasaka party-list was one of the 55 groups the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed as winners in the May 2022 elections with 272,737 votes, good for one seat in the House of Representatives. However its internal dispute which started in June 2019 prevented it to be filled.
Villamin's faction nominated King Cortez, Villamin himself and Robert Gerard Nazal Jr. for their organization. The first and second withdrew their nomination. Argel Cabatbat disputed Nazal's legitimacy to fill in the seat, claiming that Nazal is not a member of the organization and therefore ineligible. He alleges that Nazal is the founder of party-list organization Pashero, which lost in the 2022 elections. It is also claimed that Nazal is a nominee of the losing partylist Pasahero although Comelec records dispute this.
Comelec affirmed Nazal's nomination on October 10, 2022. Nazal took oath as Magsasaka representative on the same day. The election body three days laters maintained that they stood by the proclamation despite the dispute which has reached the Supreme Court. Cabatbat's faction filed a case in the Supreme Court to reverse the election body's decision. The high court issued a notice on October 18, ordering for all involved parties to maintain the status quo and nullified Nazal's assumption of office. The Cabatbat faction condemned the rival faction's "sensational claims" and maintained that Villamin's faction has been disavowed by Comelec. Comelec on October 20 said that it would head to the high court's order, and for the meantime would refrain from issuing any document recognizing as the legitimate nominee of Magsasaka.
In December 2022, Nazal unveiled the partylist's Medium-Term Development Plan in a meeting with agriculture stakeholders in the Visayas. He pledged to file several measures tackling concerns of fisherfolks and farmers if the Supreme Court rules in favor of his group.
On August 15, 2024 the Supreme Court overruled the Comelec proclamation and recognized the validity of Villamin's expulsion from the party in 2019, effectively recognising Cabatbat as congressional representative.
Representatives to Congress
| Period | 1st Representative | 2nd Representative | 3rd Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Congress 2019–2022 |
Argel Joseph Cabatbat |
— | — |
| 19th Congress 2022–2025 |
Argel Joseph Cabatbat (SC status quo) | — | — |
| Robert Nazal (Comelec; 2022–2024) |
External links
References
- Mier-Manjares, Maria April (August 2, 2021). "Former party-list coordinator in Sorsogon nabbed for illegal firearms". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- Nepomuceno, Priam (July 29, 2019). "Be more discerning in choosing 'party-list', AFP exec to voters" (in English and Filipino). Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Aurelio, Julie (October 13, 2022). "Seeds of discord: Feud rocks Magsasaka party-list". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- "Legislators hopeful of House approval for water dep't measure". BusinessWorld. January 23, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- Punay, Edu; Zoleta, Michelle. "House probe on galunggong importation sought". The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- "SC halts Comelec-backed Magsasaka rep from assuming post". ABS-CBN News. October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ De Layola, Zaldy (October 12, 2022). "Agri bizman joins House as farmers' party-list solon". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ Cariaso, Bella (October 19, 2022). "SC asked to stop proclamation of Magsasaka party-list 'representative'". The Manila Times. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ De Leon, Dwight (October 22, 2022). "Magsasaka Party-List feud: Who reaps the fruits of whose labor?". Rappler. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- "New House member representing farmers takes oath". GMA News Online. October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- "Comelec stands by proclamation of Magsasaka Party-list solon". Manila Bulletin. October 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- "SC halts Comelec-backed Magsasaka rep from assuming post". ABS-CBN News. October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- Patinio, Ferdinand (October 20, 2022). "Comelec to abide with SC order on Magsasaka party-list case". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- "Magsasaka Party-list conducts Visayas-wide territorial, sectoral leaders' strat planning". Sunstar. December 12, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- "Supreme Court invalidates Comelec's proclamation of Magsasaka Party-list faction". Rappler. August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
