Moderating dynastic intents

In the ever-twisting saga of Philippine politics, where family trees often matter and branch into ballot boxes, Nosy Tarsee’s quest for a real anti-dynasty fix has unearthed a clever proposal from Ateneo University’s sharpest minds.

They’re advocating for a law that will trim the “fat” dynasties — those bloated clans hogging multiple seats at once — and slim them down to “thin” ones, where relatives can tag-team successively, but with no overlapping reigns.

The January 2025 paper zeroes in on second-degree relatives — parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren — as the cutoff for this no-simultaneous-rule.

It is inspired by the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act, which already keeps youth councils from turning into mini family empires.

The researchers argue the measure curbs power hoarding without gutting voter options, potentially opening up 25 percent of local posts for fresh faces.

“Simultaneous actions are not allowed, but sequential ones are,” they quip, emphasizing that fat dynasties erode checks and balances, breed lousy policies, and stunt development.

To make it stick, they call for ironclad enforcement: a crystal-clear ban triggered at candidacy filing, plus a dedicated agency to sniff out violations.

No more dodging with distant cousins, as beyond second degree is too messy to track, they warn, and it should span national, local, and even party-list gigs.

As Congress debates various versions, this “thin” approach might just be the compromise: dynasties on a leash, not unleashed.