Senate panel OKs anti-political dynasty bill

The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation has approved the anti-political dynasty bill, clearing a key hurdle for the measure that seeks to limit the concentration of political power among families.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, said Tuesday that 12 of the panel’s 13 regular members, and two of three ex officio members, have signed the committee report so far:

• Risa Hontiveros (chairperson)
• Bam Aquino IV
• Joseph Victor Ejercito
• Sherwin Gatchalian
• Loren Legarda
• Lito Lapid
• Imee Marcos
• Robinhood Padilla
• Francis Pangilinan
• Erwin Tulfo
• Panfilo Lacson (ex-officio member)
• Juan Miguel Zubiri (ex-officio member)

Hontiveros said she is set to sponsor the bill in the plenary session on Tuesday afternoon.

“Baka pag-sponsor ko ay may mga mag-signify pa na sila’y pipirma,” she said.

(Once I sponsor this later, maybe more senators will signify their intent to sign the report.)

Hontiveros said the bill’s passage timeline remains feasible, as the Senate will have the whole of March to reconcile its version with the House’s.

“I think the timeline is still doable kasi Pebrero pa lang naman, maso-sponsor ko na mamayang hapon. So we have the whole of March para ‘pag nabuo na rin ng House ‘yung version nila at idinig nila sa susunod na buwan, ay pwede na mag-bicam,” she added.

(I think the timeline is still doable because it’s only February, and I will sponsor it this afternoon. We have the whole of March. Once the House finishes their version and passes it next month, we can proceed with the bicameral conference.)

Counterpart measures in the House of Representatives are being tackled at the committee level.

Under the Senate version, a political dynasty is defined as the concentration, consolidation, or perpetuation of public office and political power by spouses or relatives in national or local elective offices, party-list representation, and any other elective positions created by law.

Hontiveros said the committee report limits the prohibition to relationships of up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, instead of extending to the fourth degree.

“Dine-define namin sa committee report ang political dynasty bilang hanggang sa second degree of consanguinity and affinity," she said.

(In the committee report, we defined political dynasties as relationships of up to the second degree of consanguinity and affinity.)

"Tapos binibilang na hiwalay ang national positions sa local positions, walang prohibition between national and local,” Hontiveros added.

(National and local positions are counted separately, so there is no prohibition between them.)

The report also states that a political dynasty exists when spouses or two or more relatives hold simultaneous or overlapping terms under the party-list system or any national or local elective office.

It further bars a spouse or relative of an incumbent from immediately succeeding the latter’s office.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III welcomed developments on the proposed anti-political dynasty bill, expressing hope that it would be passed promptly after floor deliberations.

“Sa 17 na nakalista sa amin, kailangan by June nakapasa na… Hanggang June. Meron lang break. May Easter break pero walang problema,” Sotto said in an ambush interview.

(Of the 17 measures on our list, these must be passed by June… We have until June. There’s only an Easter break, but the timeline is not a problem.)

The proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act is a priority measure of the Marcos administration.

During her sponsorship speech, Hontiveros stressed that oversight weakens when authority circulates within the same family network.

“Investigations can become politically fraught. Local institutions may hesitate. Hindi po pwedeng sabihin na mabait naman si Governor, wala namang dungis si Mayor (we can’t just say the governor is kind or the mayor is clean)," she said.

"Democracy does not depend on personal virtue alone. It also depends on institutional safeguards. We want those institutional safeguards,” the senator added.

Hontiveros clarified that the bill is not an attack on political families, but seeks to prevent the simultaneous concentration of power within the same family in a single sphere of governance.

“Ito ay panig sa patas na laban (this sides with a fair fight). Democracy survives not because power is comfortable, but because power is accountable,” she added.—MCG, GMA Integrated News