Legarda files own version of anti-political dynasty bill

Senator Loren Legarda has filed the seventh anti-political dynasty bill in the Senate, seeking to prohibit relatives up to the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for public office. 

Under Senate Bill No. 1854, Legarda pointed out that the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity includes relationships between parents and children; grandparents and grandchildren; brothers and sisters, whether of the full or half blood; and the spouse of such persons, as determined in accordance with civil law. 

Relationships created by legal adoption shall also be deemed relationships by consanguinity within the same civil degree. 

The bill also identified that a political dynasty relationship exists when there is succession or simultaneous candidacy involving an incumbent; a cross-level or nationwide simultaneous candidacy or holding of office; and simultaneous candidacy of related persons without an incumbent.

Leandro Leviste, one of Legarda’s sons, is the incumbent representative of Batangas 1st district. Her brother, Antonio Legarda Jr., is also currently serving as representative of Antique’s lone district.

In the explanatory note of the bill, the senator stressed that high concentrations of political power within families “can weaken democratic accountability by diminishing electoral competition,” which she said is a key mechanism for disciplining public officials. 

“When political power is inherited rather than competitively earned, public office becomes insulated from performance-based evaluation, fostering inefficiency and abuse and undermining incentives for responsive and transparent governance,” she said. 

“Political dynasties are a deeply entrenched feature of the Philippine political landscape, shaped by multifaceted conditions that cannot be dismantled overnight. Awareness of this reality underscored the need for a gradual, principled, and credible transition toward a more open and competitive political system,” she added. 

This measure is the seventh anti-political dynasty bill filed in the upper chamber. Similar bills were also filed at the House of Representatives seeking to implement the 1987 Constitution’s provision mandating the prohibition of political dynasties. 

The Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation has also been conducting consultative meetings nationwide for the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act—-a priority measure of the Marcos administration. —AOL, GMA Integrated News