Liberal Party committed to passing Anti-Political Dynasty Law – Roxas

Although Malacañang isn’t keen on fast-tracking the passage of a bill against political dynasties, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said Monday that the ruling Liberal Party is committed to passing the long-awaited measure, which is now under debate on the House of Representatives floor.

“Sa hanay po ng aming partido na pinamumunuan ni [Transportation] Secretary Jun Abaya, ang aming chairman na si Pangulong PNoy, masasabi ko po na committed ang Liberal Party sa pagpasa ng Anti-Dynasty Law,” Roxas said at the national conference of the pro-Aquino Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma (KOMPRe) in Ateneo de Manila University.

Roxas is confident that the Anti-Political Dynasty bill now pending at the House will be passed because it enjoys the support of Aquino allies within LP.

But when pressed by reporters when LP expects to pass the bill, Roxas said he is leaving it to the House to set its own timeline.

“Ang alam ko ay nasa floor na ito for deliberation… Malaking tagumpay na ito sa parte ng House of Representatives at inaasahang tuloy-tuloy lang ang debate dito,” he said.

Palace: Political dynasties not a priority

Malacañang has said passing the Anti-Political Dynasty bill is not among its priorities since it is focused on the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will create a political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Earlier this month, House members began debating House Bill 3587, or an act prohibiting the establishment of political dynasties, in plenary.

The consolidated measure seeks to limit the political power exerted by political families by prohibiting relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity to hold or run for both national and local posts in successive, simultaneous, or overlapping terms.

It was unanimously approved by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms on November 2013.

The 16th Congress is the first to tackle the bill on the floor after nearly three decades of the proposal being stuck at the committee level.

At the start of the second regular session last July, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told his colleagues that the crux of the bill will be determined by how they define political dynasties.

In this regard, Belmonte said the House “must proceed in earnest to examine the merits of this bill and lay out the parameters of its application toward creating effective deterrents to the establishment and perpetuation of political dynasties at all levels of government.” — JDS, GMA News