Senate panel concludes consultations on anti-political dynasty bills

The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation on Thursday wrapped up its series of public consultative meetings on the measure which seeks to prohibit political dynasties. 

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the panel, said the essential points raised during the past five public consultations held in various parts of the country would be considered in drafting the committee report.

“Ang laban kontra-dinastiya ay hindi tungkol sa sinumang pamilya, ni sino mang dinastiya. At hindi po ito kontra sa demokrasya. In fact, para ito ma-enhance pa natin ang ating demokrasya. Sa halip talaga, pagsisikap po itong ayusin ang sistema na matagal nang hindi gumagana para sa nakararami,” she said during the last leg of the consultation in Cagayan de Oro City. 

(The fight for anti-dynasty is not about any family nor any dynasty. And this is not against democracy. In fact, we need this to further enhance our democracy. This will also help fix a system that has long been dysfunctional for the majority.) 

“Ang posisyon sa gobyerno ay dapat bukas sa lahat ng Pilipinong may kakayahan at kagustuhang magsilbi. Hindi po ito dapat reserbado base sa apelyido. By passing this bill, we are also moving one step towards solving the problems of corruption, poverty and inequality,” she added. 

(Government positions should be open to all Filipinos who have the ability and desire to serve. It should not be reserved based on the last name. By passing this bill, we are also moving one step towards solving the problems of corruption, poverty and inequality.)

Aside from Cagayan de Oro City, the committee also conducted consultative meetings in Pasig City; Calamba City, Laguna; Bacolod City; and Marilao, Bulacan. 

Several measures have been filed in the Senate and the House of Representatives that seek to implement the 1987 Constitution’s provision on prohibiting political dynasties.

At the Senate, seven anti-dynasty bills are pending before the electoral reforms committee.

During the consultation in Cagayan de Oro City, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 10 director Renato Magbutay admitted that it would be difficult for the poll body to implement the measure once enacted to law if it is prone to loopholes. 

“It is very hard for the Comelec to implement if the law passed is ambivalent, may (has) ambiguities, and prone to loopholes. ‘Yan ang mahirap (that’s what’s difficult),” Magbutay said. 

“But if the law is ironclad, as Senator Kiko [Pangilinan] said, ironclad [and] foolproof, madali lang ma-implement ng Comelec. ‘Yan ang assurance ng Comelec – madaling i-implement if it is friendly na batas na madali nating ipaliwanag sa mga tao, madaling maintindihan ng mga pulitiko,” he added. 

(But if the law is ironclad and foolproof, as Senator Kiko Pangilinan said, then the Comelec can easily implement it. That’s the Comelec’s assurance – it’s easy to implement if it is a friendly law that we can easily explain to the people, and will be easy for politicians to understand.) 

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who was also present at the consultation, said the Comelec also needs to have political will to implement the proposed law. 

“Because the issue, for example, of vote buying is against the law, and Comelec is charged to execute the law and disqualify those who are involved in vote buying. So political will is also required so that the law and the Omnibus Election Code provisions are implemented during the election ban,” he said.

The proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act has been tagged as a priority measure of the Marcos administration. — JMA, GMA Integrated News