Maza hits plan for "Arroyo house" through party-list system

"There is no place for either Mikey Arroyo or Angelo Reyes in any party-list."

This was the statement of Makabayan-Nacionalista senatorial bet Liza Maza criticizing Department of Energy Sec. Angelo Reyes's and Pampanga representative and presidential son Mikey Arroyo's bid to run for congressional posts under the party-list system.

"We will demand for their disqualification from the COMELEC if they will push through with their plans to run as party-list representatives in the Lower House. Neither of the two comes from marginalized or underrepresented sector. That fact alone makes them unfit to seek such a position,"
Maza said.

Maza cited Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list System Act requires aspiring nominees to be “Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties”.

The three term representative of Gabriela earlier slammed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's son's plan as utmost disrespect for the election system and called it a scheme to establish the Arroyo House.

As for Sec. Reyes, Maza called his candidacy as an "ironic and potentially tragic affair".

"Reyes caused drivers' massive headaches when he allowed the almost weekly increase in oil prices and acted as spokesperson of big oil companies during his two-year stint as Energy secretary. Kakapal na lang ng mukha na tumakbo pa siya bilang kinatawan ng 1-UTAK matapos na ipakita niya ang kainutilan sa hiling ng mga drivers na ibaba ang presyo ng langis," Maza said. ###