Adiong: Political dynasties not evil unless power is abused

Political dynasties in the Philippines are not necessarily evil and only become problematic when the power that comes with them is abused, according to Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

Adiong, chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said political families remain a reality in the country’s political landscape and should not automatically be equated with wrongdoing.

He said a political dynasty “is not necessarily evil,” stressing that it is how power entrusted by the people is used that determines whether it becomes harmful.

Deliberations on proposed anti-political dynasty measures — stalled for nearly four decades despite being mandated under the Constitution — have resumed in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Faustino Dy III.

Lawmakers and resource persons are now focused on defining political dynasties without infringing on voters’ rights, as Congress seeks to strike a balance between reform and democratic principles.

Several political families, Adiong noted, have remained in public office for generations without being widely viewed as abusive or corrupt, adding that longevity alone does not make a family problematic.

Adiong said many resource persons echoed the same view during committee hearings, emphasizing that the issue lies not in family ties but in how power is exercised.

At present, the committee’s goal is to arrive at a working definition of political dynasty that balances reform objectives with democratic principles. Hearings are aimed at finding consensus on a definition acceptable to both advocates of reform and those cautious about voter disenfranchisement.

The House is currently consolidating multiple anti-political dynasty proposals, with debates focusing on how dynasties should be defined, how far family restrictions should extend, and whether limits should apply to simultaneous or successive holding of elective office.

Lawmakers are considering banning political dynasties up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, which would prohibit parents, children and siblings from holding elective office simultaneously or successively.

Most of the anti-political dynasty bills filed in Congress propose limiting the ban to relatives within the second degree, which includes parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings.

A total of 20 bills have been filed so far, with two more expected, all of which will be consolidated into a single measure.

Adiong said the use of degrees of consanguinity offers a clear and legally grounded way of defining political dynasties, allowing Congress to set parameters on whether family members may run for office at the same time or in succession.

Some proposals, however, seek to extend the ban to the third or fourth degree of consanguinity, which would cover in-laws, cousins and more distant relatives.