Senator: Next Phl president should not come from political dynasty
FROM political advertisements plastered along the perimeter walls in Tondo, Manila, to the Commission on Elections preparations for the actual voting, nobody thought 12 May 2025 polls would be a historic one in terms of voters’ turnout and the surprising results generated by the millennials and the GenZs. These not only restored public trust in the electoral system but also empowered young voters to actively participate in shaping the nation’s future.
Photographs by Analy Labor, John Carlo Magallon and Toto Lozano for the DAILY TRIBUNE
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday, 13 January, said the next Philippine president should not come from a political dynasty, as he renewed calls for the passage of the bill.
Citing data, Pangilinan said in areas where political dynasties thrive, poverty is also the deepest.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism show that the 10 regions with the highest poverty incidences are heavily governed by political dynasties.
All provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao -- which registered the highest poverty rate in 2021 at 37.2 percent -- are led by political families.
In Caraga Region (33.2 percent), Zamboanga Peninsula (30.1 percent), Bicol Region (29.3 percent), and Eastern Visayas (28.9 percent), most, if not all, provinces are led by politicians who came from dynasties.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies also noted that dynasties "can weaken checks and balances," making it harder for genuine development-focused leaders to emerge.
"This is the time to prove that we are serious about wanting the country to be a success. That the next President will not belong to a political dynasty," he said in a statement.
"Because if there are no political dynasties, there will be no poverty. The people are watching, and further postponement will not be sold," he added.
In December 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Congress to prioritize four legislative measures during a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Marcos asked Congress to include the Anti-Dynasty Bill among its priority bills.
"There is no longer any excuse to slip through the continuous delay of the law. It needs to be acted upon now," he added.
Pangilinan also called on the Senate leadership to start as soon as possible the hearings on the filed anti-dynasty bills of him, as well as of Senators Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Robinhood Padilla, Bam Aquino, and JV Ejercito.
"On 2 February, the 1987 Constitution will turn 39 years old. But for almost four decades, its clear mandate to ban political dynasties has been ignored," he furthered.