Drilon, LP failed to pass anti-dynasty bill under Noynoy, says solon

Anak-Kalusugan party-list Representative Michael Defensor on Wednesday doubted Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon's sincerity in asking President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the anti-dynasty bill.

Defensor said Drilon's Liberal Party controlled both houses of Congress under the administration of LP member former President Benigno Aquino III and still failed to pass the measure.

Drilon recently called on Duterte to certify the Anti-Dynasty bill as urgent if the Chief Executive was serious in his vow to dismantle the oligarchy.

A bill certified as urgent allows Congress to approve the measure on second and third reading on the same day.

“His sincerity in championing the anti-Dynasty bill is highly doubtful. With all due respect to Senator Drilon, the Liberal Party controlled both houses of Congress for six years during the Aquino administration, and yet they never bothered to pass the bill seeking to define and forbid political dynasties,” Defensor said in a statement.

“The truth is, the LP sat on the bill because they have political dynasties of their own to protect,” he added.

Drilon served as Senate President from 2013 to 2016, the last three years of the presidency of Benigno Aquino III.

During his fifth SONA, the President accused Drilon of protecting the Lopez family who owns ABS-CBN in his call to end political dynasties.

Drilon has denied this, saying that he was defending the public's constitutional right to free press.

The House Legislative Franchises panel rejected ABS-CBN’s franchise application this month via a 70-11 vote, seven months after President Duterte said he will see to it that ABS-CBN is out of business by 2020.

The rejection has prompted the network to start laying off workers. -NB, GMA News