Ralph Recto calls for broad consultation on anti-dynasty law, other Marcos wishes

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday called for "broad consultation" among various sectors political groups regarding the laws that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he wanted Congress to pass, including an anti-dynasty act and the creation of an independent people's commission.

Aside from these two measures, Marcos also urged lawmakers to prioritize the passage of the Party-list System Reform Act and the Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, which seeks to institutionalize transparency and accountability in public finance.

"The presidential request for  congressional action on the four bills goes beyond their  immediate passage but  for wide consultation with  all sectors so the  best ideas can be incorporated in these reform legislation," Recto said.

"Given the importance and urgency of  these bills,  the invitation to participate in their crafting should  be extended to groups of all political persuasions," he added.

"Broad consultations result in better laws.  It  is only by  canvassing views and opinions  from as many sources as possible is the nation guaranteed of a law that reflects their interest," Recto said.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that Marcos has urged Congress to prioritize the passage of the Anti-Dynasty Bill and the proposed Independent People’s Commission (IPC) Act following a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Several measures have been filed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate seeking to give effect to the 1987 Constitution’s provision mandating the prohibition of political dynasties.

During the 2022 presidential campaign, Marcos suggested that political dynasties were “not necessarily bad.”

Two Senate bills proposing the creation of the IPC aim to establish a permanent, independent, and non-partisan commission that would investigate alleged anomalies and corruption in infrastructure projects at the national, local government unit (LGU), and government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) levels.

Earlier, Castro said the proposed IPC could overlap with the functions of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice, as it would also look into infrastructure-related corruption.

Marcos has asked both chambers of Congress to take a closer look at the four bills and fast-track their passage.

Present at the LEDAC meeting were Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Faustino Dy III, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, and other congressional leaders. –NB, GMA Integrated News