Ako Bicol Party List Should be Called Gloria Bicol Party List Instead

With Ako Bicol party list now in the top three party lists according to the recent Business world and Social Weather Station surveys it seems that its tactic to distance itself from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo worked. But as it is many Bikolanos know that AKB is nothing but a dummy party list of Malacañang and it is better called Gloria Bicol party list. It will represent Gloria in Congress and not marginalized Bikolanos. Ako Bicol is composed of contractors and close Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo associate and businessman Elizalde Co is their chairman. Co is the biggest contractor in the region and is being linked to the killing of jueteng whistle blower Boy Mayor.

According to an A1 source before, front party lists of Malacañang were exposed during this year's campaign Ako Bicol's  first nominee was Elizaldy Co, their second nominee was either incumbent Legazpi City Mayor as well as Gloria ally Noel Rosal or Atty. Rodel Batocabe, president of Ako Bicol. But as Ang Galing Pinoy party list and others were exposed Ako Bicol changed their nominees to Christopher Co, brother of Elizaldy, Rodel Batocabe and Alfredo Garbin Jr causing the delay in their submission of nominees and so that it would not be too obvious that they are pro-Gloria, but it must be noted that once seated they can immediately be replaced for whatever reason by other nominees not listed in what they submitted.

Still we would also like to know who is funding their campaign because they have a lot of air time both in television and radio, big billboards and a lot of vehicles. They even reach Metro Manila.

It is hard to believe that a party list group can have so much money considering that they are supposed to be composed of marginalized people or at least represents them. More likely than not their funding comes from some bigwigs and from Malacañang itself especially now that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is running for Congress.  Gloria would need a lot of congressmen for her to be the speaker of the House or prime minister in the event that there would be a shift to a parliamentary form of government.

As early as now Gloria is preparing for that eventuality and what is worse though is that she is misleading Bikolanos that these party list groups will really represent them but in reality are just her dummies. We are now coordinating with our national office in including Ako Bicol in the list of party list groups to be filed with disqualification cases.

We are not against a party list group representing Bikolanos but we want one that will truly represent the region and not the interests of the powers that be and their cohorts. We want party list groups that will really stand by their principles and fight for the betterment of the sector or region that they represent as well as the whole nation.

Tessa Lopez

Public Information Officer

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Bikol (BAYAN-Bikol)

Brgy. 17, Legazpi City, Albay