Belmonte: House won't pass a 'papogi' anti-dynasty bill

Passing an anti-political dynasty bill to earn "pogi points" is useless, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. said Sunday, as he shut the door on having the proposal approved in the 16th Congress.

 

"Siyempre para pa-pogi, we would like to come out with an anti-dynasty law pero...it will just be a showpiece. Ayoko naman [nang ganun]," Belmonte said in a dzBB radio interview.

 

"Once you pass a showpiece, 'yung challenge at continuing rebuke sa amin for not having done what the Constitution wants eh mawawala 'yan kasi may ginawa kami, pero toothless naman," he added.

 

The anti-dynasty bill was left out of the legislative priorities identified by the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives despite President Benigno Aquino III's endorsement of the measure in his last state address in July. 

 

"We all thought na makakaya namin eh pero as it happened, we also didn't like to take a risk voting in and being laughed at later on for an anti-dynasty bill na wala naman talagang sinasabi," Belmonte said.

 

Article II Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states "The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law."

 

Ant-dynasty bills are pending for second reading approval in the House plenary. The Senate version, meanwhile, is pending before the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms.

 

The House Speaker, who can still run for another term as Quezon City congressman, said he will leave it up to the next Congress to discuss such proposals, which seek to limit the number of family members who can be simultaneously elected to public office.

 

Hesitance on FOI approval

 

Also excluded from the list of congressional priorities is the freedom of information (FOI) bill, which provides a more transparent, and easier access to government documents. 

 

In his budget message to Congress, President Aquino asked lawmakers to pass the FOI measure.

 

Belmonte said, however, that some groups are hesitant about the FOI's approval.

 

"Nagtatantyahan pa rin kami ron dahil sa there are some groups there that are hesitant about it," Belmonte said.

 

Among those earlier identified as priority bills include the proposed 2016 General Appropriations Act, and the Bangsamoro Basic Law. 

 

Also included is the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform bill; 2) creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology; 3) Tax Incentive Management and Transparency Act; 4)  amendments to the Public-Private Partnership/BOT law; and 5) the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/ALG, GMA News