Dy seeks spending reforms, anti-dynasty discussions

SPEAKER Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III on Monday said the House of Representatives would pursue reforms to make state spending and budget formulation more transparent, as the nation grapples with a multibillion-peso graft scandal.

He said lawmakers should face the issues that allowed the corruption scandal to fester, urging them to “confront the shortcomings of the past” in a politically charged speech that pledged reforms to restore public trust.

“How will we face the lessons of the past, and how will we ensure that the mistakes of the past will not happen again?” Mr. Dy asked congressmen in plenary. “It is time to build a system that will give clarity to the funds and restore the trust of the people in the government.”

Lawmakers reconvened on Monday after the holiday break as the Marcos administration seeks to contain the fallout from the graft scandal that has implicated lawmakers, officials and private contractors in a scheme to defraud billions of pesos earmarked for flood mitigation structures.

Mr. Dy also urged congressmen to jump-start discussions on a bill prohibiting political dynasties.

“Let us open the discussion that we have been avoiding for a long time, including the anti-political dynasty bill,” he said. “I know that this is sensitive and personal to some, even to my own family, but if we are serious about reform… we must have the courage to talk about it.”

Several versions of an anti-political dynasty measure in both chambers of Congress have been filed, including House Bill No. 6771, authored by House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos III and Mr. Dy, both of whom are members of political dynasties. 

The bill seeks to curb political dynasties by barring spouses and relatives up to the fourth civil degree from simultaneously holding elective posts.

It also prohibits such relatives from holding national positions at the same time, occupying the same House seat within a district, or serving concurrently in the same provincial, city or municipality or village government. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio