MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Two senatorial bets on Monday strongly batted for the immediate review of the party-list system even as they decried the disqualification of a national association of physically handicapped Filipinos from participating in the May 10 polls.

In separate interviews here, former Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and Binalonan (Pangasinan) Mayor Ramon Guico of Lakas-Kampi-CMD vowed to initiate a legislative action to revisit the partylist system which has been shaken by various controversies.

Sotto and Guico agreed that the rejection by the Commission on Elections of the bid of Disabled Pinoy Party to join the May 10 party-list elections is a big reason why Congress should initiate a review of the laws on partylist system.

The DPP has called the attention of the international community to what they described t as a grave injustice that the Comelec has committed against persons with disabilities.

Sotto and Guico attended a campaign rally here where they were introduced by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia as among the 12 senatorial bets that have gained the support of One Cebu, the biggest and most influential local political party in the province.

“The party-list system experiment must end. We have arrived at the conclusion that it should be reviewed and defanged of unfair and flawed provisions that have poisoned its noble objective of giving the marginalized sector a voice in governance,” said Sotto.

The former senator explained that among the marginalized sectors in Philippine society, Filipino PWD’s deserves representation in Congress.

“Just like the elderly, the urban poor, our farmers and cultural minorities, PWDs have special concerns that are, otherwise, not ordinarily addressed by existing laws. They, too, must be given a voice in Congress,” said Sotto. (Ben Rosario)