Senate committees OK definition, ban on political dynasties

The Senate committees on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, and on electoral reforms and people’s participation has approved a bill seeking to define and ban political dynasties.

The bill also provides for penalties as mandated by the Constitution.

Senator Francis Pangilinan presented before the plenary on Wednesday Committee Report 367 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill.

It defined a political dynasty as the “concentration, consolidation, and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.”

“We have to stress here that the question of whether or not dynasties are good for the country is immaterial because the Constitution mandates that the Congress must define by law political dynasty that it should be, ought to be prohibited,” Pangilinan said in his sponsorship speech.

He said patronage, corruption, fraud and violence dominated the existing political system and allowed political dynasties to thrive.

“Let us be the Congress that will put an end to this exclusionary type of political leadership, and open the electoral playing field to more of our citizens," Pangilinan said.

"Sana tayo ang Kongreso na magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mas marami pang kapwa mamamayan na lumahok at sumama at makisalo sa pakikibakang elektoral,” he added.

He said the passage of the anti-political dynasty bill is the change wanted by the people and not no election, term extension, or railroaded Charter change.

“Ito ang pagbabagong hinihintay ng taumbayan, hindi no-el o kaya term extension o kaya pwersado o minamadali na Cha-cha,” Pangilinan said.

With the submission of the committee report, the Senate can now discuss and deliberate the proposed anti-political dynasty bill.

Co-author JV

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, co-author of the bill, said the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill should be institutionalized to encourage the Filipino people to vote for candidates not only based on their family name, but more on platform, proposed policies, and advocacies.

He admitted that it was not easy to be part of a political family. His father, former President Joseph Estrada is now the mayor of Manila, his mother Guia Gomez is mayor of San Juan, while his niece Janella Ejercito is vice mayor of San Juan whose father Jinggoy Ejercito is a former senator.

“I, myself has been subject to criticisms because I have relatives in the political arena. However, this does not hinder me from filing an Anti-Political Dynasty Bill,” he said in his co-sponsorship speech.

Ejercito said he personally do not consider belonging to a political family by itself as evil.

“What I have in mind in filing a bill prohibiting the establishment of political dynasties is to provide equal opportunities to persons who are equally qualified to aspire to run for public office,” he said.

He added that an anti-dynasty law may be a chance to improve the quality of political parties by increasing everyone’s access to political participation.

“By particularly defining political dynasty, challengers with valuable policy ideas will be given a chance to hold public office. I am proud to say that I have co-authored the SK Reform Act or RA 10742 which contained an anti-dynasty provision,” he said. —NB, GMA News