“In an electoral atmosphere when rules that supposedly uphold fair play are ineffective, poor candidates and poor party-list groups are practically withered away and left far behind from the race, by the visibility of the rich political dynasties and candidates,” the lawmakers said.“Since 2009, moneyed candidates have been able to launch their electoral campaign without violating the law, even before the start of the campaign period. This practice was brought about by the promulgation of Penera v. COMELEC,” they added.