Keep heat on
Critics remain unimpressed, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent moves appear to be an attempt to deflect attention from what they describe as a budget fiasco under his administration.
Daily TribuneCritics remain unimpressed, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent moves appear to be an attempt to deflect attention from what they describe as a budget fiasco under his administration.
The Anti-Dynasty bill, a contentious measure that has defied 40 years of public demand to be enacted, may have the best chance of becoming law despite the watered-down version proposed by Speaker Bojie Dy and the President’s son, Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
The 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties; however, no enabling law has been enacted.
The Anti-Political Dynasty bill has been resisted mainly in Congress because many lawmakers themselves belong to political dynasties.
The Dy-Marcos version is riddled with compromises, suggesting it is less about reform and more about preempting a genuine measure that would finally put an end to treating congressional seats as family inheritance.
Critics remain unimpressed, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent moves appear to be an attempt to deflect attention from what they describe as a budget fiasco under his administration.
“If the President were truly serious, he would have mentioned (the Anti-Dynasty Bill) in his State of the Nation Address. I think this only came about because of public clamor, because of the corruption scandals tied to the budget and ghost projects involving political dynasties,” Anakbayan Rep. Chel Diokno said.
Diokno and others critical of the President’s push said the bill is better than nothing since it would be “a great opportunity for progressive legislators.”
The bill, which still faces expected resistance from several members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, will be tackled under an evolving dynamic in Congress.
“The majority (bloc) knows the public is closely watching them. That is why they had to bend and make pronouncements that suddenly opened the door to difficult measures,” Diokno said.
In such an environment, the progressives in Congress are hoping that the Speaker’s or Majority Leader’s version would not necessarily become the central basis of the law.
The bill is being pushed because it is clear that corruption and political dynasties are closely linked.
“Since the opportunity is there, we will do our best to make it (ending political dynasties) happen.”
Diokno said the Dy-Marcos bill seeks to ensure dynasties continue, with only minor adjustments, as families could still field candidates at the national, provincial, municipal and city levels simultaneously.
A provision in the bill, for instance, allows dynasties to continue by dividing restrictions by level.
Diokno is confident about a genuine measure passing, as he said some lawmakers outside the reform bloc and even outside the minority, have privately expressed strong support for a genuine anti-political dynasty law. “Some of them even come from influential families, which surprised me,” he explained.
Yet the recalcitrant will remain, as what is at stake is not only their political careers but also their economic existence, since members of dynasties usually have no other means of living beyond the percentages from government deals.
Many will never be persuaded, which, Diokno said, makes live-streaming hearings and debates valuable.
“Public scrutiny is powerful. People now actively watch congressional proceedings — it’s become more popular than TV dramas. This is how citizens participate and make their voices heard,” Diokno said.
Thus, the Anti-Dynasty bill may spark a clash between the hidden agendas of its proponents and the outpouring of public rage against the abuse of the democratic system.
There will be no contest — the final victory will always belong to the people, no matter how long the battle takes.