Power in the Margins: The 2% Rule and the Rise of the Few in the Party-list Race

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In a nation where democracy is measured not just by voices but by representation, the party-list system was envisioned as a powerful equalizer — a mechanism meant to give marginalized sectors a seat at the legislative table. But in recent elections, the reality paints a dramatically different picture. Power remains concentrated, and the 2% threshold — once seen as a key that unlocks representation — has become more symbolic than decisive.

As the results of the latest elections unfold, only six party-list groups have managed to clear the coveted 2% vote share, guaranteeing them one seat each in the House of Representatives. These groups are:

Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party (AKBAYAN)

Duterte Youth Party-List (DUTERTE YOUTH)

Tingog Sinirangan (TINGOG)

Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4PS)

Anti-Crime and Terrorism-Community Involvement and Support, Inc. (ACT-CIS)

Ako Bicol Political Party (AKO BIKOL)

These six parties are now poised to wield substantial influence, particularly the top-performing among them who may receive up to three seats, the constitutional cap for party-list representation per group. But beyond this elite circle lies a striking democratic dilemma — the remaining seats in the 20% party-list allocation of the House will be filled by groups that didn’t even reach the 2% mark.

The Numbers Behind the Power

The 2% vote share rule is not just a benchmark — it’s a promise. A promise that those who genuinely command public support earn their rightful place in Congress. But what happens when that threshold is met by only a few? The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is then forced to allocate seats to lower-performing groups just to complete the constitutionally mandated 20% party-list representation.

This is not a fluke. It’s a pattern.

In the 2022 elections, only six out of 55 winning groups achieved the 2% benchmark. Yet, ALONA Party-list, with just 0.65% of the vote, still found its way into Congress. The 2019 elections echoed a similar trend — only eight of 51 winners surpassed 2%, and the Kabataan Party-list clinched a seat with a meager 0.7%.

Such numbers raise a fundamental question: Is the party-list system still working as intended?

The Cracks in the System

Originally designed to give voice to underrepresented groups — farmers, laborers, indigenous peoples, women, youth — the party-list system has increasingly been dominated by well-funded, politically-affiliated, and celebrity-backed organizations. Some critics argue that certain party-lists are mere extensions of powerful clans or traditional politicians in disguise.

The low threshold for representation, compounded by Comelec’s discretion to fill all party-list slots regardless of vote share, has opened the floodgates to groups with minimal public support. This dilution has serious implications. It marginalizes the marginalized, and shifts legislative power toward interest groups with more resources than relevance.

The Quiet Revolution: Who Deserves a Seat?

Among the six triumphant groups, several have been criticized for not being representative of the truly marginalized, while others are closely associated with national political figures and ruling alliances. For example, Duterte Youth, named after the former President, has faced intense scrutiny over its legitimacy as a youth representative. Meanwhile, ACT-CIS, reportedly backed by a well-known broadcast journalist’s family, continues to enjoy high visibility and electoral success.

And yet, groups like Kabataan or Gabriela, long-standing advocates for specific social sectors, often barely scrape by — if they make it at all.

Reform or Ruin?

Calls for party-list reform have grown louder with each election cycle. Proposals range from raising the threshold to ensure stronger public mandates, to stricter vetting of nominees, to revisiting the allocation formula that allows low-performing groups into Congress. But real change remains elusive.

The current trend, if left unchecked, risks turning the party-list system into a farce — a tool no longer of empowerment but of political maneuvering.

Final Word: Representation or Replication?

The House of Representatives is meant to be a mosaic of Filipino voices — rich and poor, rural and urban, mainstream and marginalized. But when those who barely register in the public's conscience gain a seat, and those with genuine grassroots support are drowned out by political machinery, democracy falters.

The 2% rule was supposed to separate the wheat from the chaff. But if Comelec continues to award congressional seats like participation trophies just to fill quotas, the party-list system becomes a hollow promise.

The nation deserves better. The people deserve true representation. And the system must rise to meet that expectation — or risk irrelevance.

Ross Flores Del Rosario is the founder of Wazzup Pilipinas, an online media platform dedicated to promoting transparency, good governance, and public awareness across all sectors of Philippine society.

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