Palace on anti-political dynasty legislation: We leave it to lawmakers’ conscience

Malacañang is leaving to the individual conscience of lawmakers whether to pass legislation that would ban political dynasties.

"We will leave it to the members of Congress, to their good conscience, to whatever they think is good for this country," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Panelo gave the statement a day after the midterm elections which ended the grip on power of some political families in Metro Manila and other areas.

Other families continued their dominance including that of President Rodrigo Duterte whose three children are set to occupy elective posts in Davao City, where he ruled for more than two decades, next month.

The President backs an anti-political dynasty law but raised concerns on whether it would succeed.

Panelo added that Duterte believes the people will be the ones to decide who will be voted into office.

"Ang sinasabi niya yata roon, Pilipino pa rin ang magdi-decide. Kasi mayroong dynasty na maganda, mayroon ding dynasty na masama," the Palace spokesman said.

"And we have seen how the Filipinos or the Filipino electorate has rejected dynasties which they feel and believe to be no longer fruitful sa kanila; hindi beneficial sa kanila kaya ni-reject nila."

Duterte's proposed shift from a unitary government to a federal system has yet to pass Congress despite amendments proposed by the Consultative Committee (Con-Com) chaired by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

The House of Representatives in December last year passed on third and final reading Resolution of Both Houses No. 15 which sought, among others, a shift to a federal form of government, the removal of the term limits for lawmakers and lifting of the anti-political dynasty provision in the 1987 Constitution.

Puno slammed the House resolution, calling it "bogus federalism."

The Con-com's proposal has the federal republic guaranteeing a prohibition on political dynasties to prevent the concentration of political power among persons related to one another.

It bans persons related to an incumbent elective official within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for the same position in the immediately following election.

It also prohibits persons related within the same civil degree from running simultaneously for more than one  national and one regional or local position. In case of two or more family members running, the drawing of lots would determine who would be allowed to run. — BM, GMA News