House body nears committee report on anti-dynasty bill, eyes passage by July

THE House of Representatives is finalizing its committee report that will consolidate 24 bills seeking to curb political dynasties, with lawmakers aiming to pass the measure before President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address in July.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong, who heads the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said the panel is drafting a substitute bill that would unify the various measures into a single proposal.

“There are 24 versions, so we are now in the process of consolidating the substitute bill, so that we can come up with a unified bill that will be the subject of our committee report next week,” he told a livestreamed briefing.

The effort revives a long-running push to implement a constitutional provision that directs Congress to prohibit political dynasties and ensure equal access to opportunities for public service. Almost four decades after the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, no enabling law has been enacted.

Mr. Adiong said the committee seeks to approve its report before Congress adjourns on March 20. Sessions will resume on May 4.

Once the report reaches the plenary, he expects contentious debates.

“It will not be accepted as is by my colleagues,” he said, citing divisions over how broadly the ban should apply.

A key issue is the degree of consanguinity or affinity that would be covered. Most House bills propose barring relatives up to the second degree from running for or simultaneously holding public office, while others seek a fourth-degree restriction.

“There are about 16 or 17 bills that propose the second-degree prohibitions, the rest are fourth degree,” Mr. Adiong said.

The committee is weighing which degree of civil relationship should form the legal definition of a political dynasty.

Mr. Adiong cited existing precedents, including provisions in the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act and Bangsamoro Organic Law, which impose restrictions up to the second degree in specific contexts.

“Our basis is already existing policies, although it is not being implemented nationwide,” he said.

The Senate has advanced its own proposal. The chamber’s Electoral Reforms Committee submitted a report to the plenary this week seeking to bar relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from holding public office simultaneously or in overlapping terms.

Under Senate Bill No. 1901, relatives or spouses would be barred from holding simultaneous or overlapping terms in national and local offices, as well as from occupying positions across party-list groups and elective posts.

It also prohibits immediate succession, preventing a spouse or relative from taking over a position right after an incumbent family member’s term.

The bill authorizes the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel the certificate of candidacy of people found to be part of a political dynasty or those who willfully conceal such relationships. All aspirants must submit sworn declarations stating they do not fall within the prohibited degree of relation.

Concealment of information, falsification of documents, malicious filings, coercion or engineered resignations to enable relatives to run would be treated as election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code. In cases where multiple relatives file for the same position and none withdraw voluntarily, Comelec may resort to drawing lots.

Business and civil society groups have argued that limiting the ban to the second degree may be too narrow and fall short of the Constitution’s intent. They have urged lawmakers to adopt broader restrictions to dismantle entrenched political clans.

Mr. Adiong rejected claims that a second-degree limit would be weak.

“We don’t have any point of reference to say that it is going to be a weak law,” he said. “What we are actually trying to achieve here is to have an anti-political dynasty measure that will be implementable.”

The debate comes as curbing political dynasties is listed among the administration’s priority measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Efforts to pass such a law have repeatedly stalled in a Congress where political families hold significant sway. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has estimated that roughly eight in 10 lawmakers belong to political dynasties, underscoring the political sensitivity of the proposal.

Whether the latest push will overcome decades of resistance may hinge on how lawmakers balance constitutional intent with political realities when the bill reaches the House floor. — Adrian H. Halili