Anti-political dynasty bill: Ever present and absent at the same time

The call of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for Congress to prioritize the passage of the anti-political dynasty bill has once again put the spotlight on the measure that has always been talked about but hardly moved an inch in the halls of Congress.

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

Several proposed measures have been introduced but no law against political dynasties has been enacted almost 40 years since the Constitution was signed.

Here are some of the efforts over the years: 

1992 to 1993

Based on the available records of the House and the Senate’s websites, an Anti-Political Dynasty bill was first filed during these years, one of which was filed by Rep. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte in 1993.

Mercado’s proposal was approved at the committee level, and it ended there.

1995

The Anti-Political Dynasty bill was refiled in the House of Representatives, approved at the committee level, but remained at that.

1996 to 2007

The bill was refiled in the House of Representatives and the Senate during these years, but the measure either only reached committee-level discussions, and committee-level approval at best.  Some of the authors of the proposal were then senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Alfredo Lim, Bayan Muna party-list representative Satur Ocampo, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Iloilo representative Art Defensor, Jr., among others.

The Senate website has only available data from 13th Congress and beyond, or starting 2004.

2008 to 2013

The Anti-Political Dynasty bill was again refiled in the House of Representatives and the Senate during these years, bearing the same authors, but all to no avail and still not going beyond committee-level discussions.

2014

A breakthrough in the measure emerged this year, with the House version of the measure reaching the plenary deliberations and sponsored by then House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms chairperson and Capiz Rep. Frednil Castro under House Bill 3587.

House Bill 3587 seeks to limit the political power exerted by political families by prohibiting relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity to hold or run for both national and local posts in successive, simultaneous, or overlapping terms.

“[This bill] gives the best and brightest from a disadvantaged family equal access to public service which otherwise could have been held and occupied by other members of political dynasties Castro said then.

This unprecedented moment, however, never went beyond that.

2015

Then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that the House of Representatives would not pass an Anti-Political Dynasty bill that has no teeth, saying the House will bring public wrath to itself in doing such.

Without an enabling law, the political power in the country has been dominated by political families.

2016 to 2017

The Anti-Political Dynasty bill was again refiled in Congress but did not reach the plenary. 

2018

The Consultative Committee led by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, tasked by then President Rodrigo Duterte to propose amendments to the Constitution en route to federalism, proposed the inclusion of an Anti-Political Dynasty measure as a necessary precursor before transitioning to federalism, but President Duterte said that provision would be a hard sell.

“The problem is will it be approved? Because in our country, after a politician finishes his [or her] term, they would ask the son or the wife [to run],” Duterte said then.

2019 to 2025

Authors of the Anti-Political Dynasty bill kept refiling the measure, although discussions on the bill remain stuck in the committee-level.

Among those who filed the bill were Senators Robinhood Padilla, Lacson, Erwin Tulfo, Kiko Pangilinan, and Risa Hontiveros; as well as ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co; Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores; Cebu City 1st District Rep. Rachel del Mar;  Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Bernadette Barbers; Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos; Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice; ML Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima; Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Sarah Elago; 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez; Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo; Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Akbayan Partylist Reps. Perci Cendaña, Chel Diokno, and Dadah Ismula, among others.

August 2025

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia said that a feasible anti-political dynasty law should prohibit family members of incumbent officials up to the second degree of consanguinity from seeking public office.

“Sa amin pong palagay ang second degree of consanguinity ang mas practical at mas reasonable in order not to deprive others of the opportunity to run for public office,” Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said at a Senate committee on electoral reforms hearing. 

(For the Comelec, the second degree of consanguinity is the more practical and reasonable option in order not to deprive others of the opportunity to run for public office.)

Second degree of consanguinity refers to blood relatives, including siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.—AOL/VDV, GMA Integrated News