The chairperson of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms is calling for a comprehensive review of the country’s election laws, arguing that an anti-political dynasty measure alone will not suffice to modernize the Philippine political system.

Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said Sunday that the decades-old Omnibus Election Code must be updated to address contemporary issues, specifically campaign financing and the party-list system.

Adiong spoke following the first of three regional consultations regarding 24 pending anti-political dynasty bills.

“The anti-political dynasty bill is not a stand-alone solution if we talk about widening the access for political participation,” Adiong said. “It should be paired with campaign finance [reform] because we are talking of resources that would give due advantage to a certain politician who has so many resources over that of a candidate with no resources at all.”

The lawmaker stressed that reforming the party-list system and passing the proposed Anti-Turncoatism Act are essential to fostering “civic maturity” and a more stable party system.

The nationwide consultations, initiated by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, seek to establish a legal definition of what constitutes a political dynasty. Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos have filed their own version of the bill.

A central point of debate among stakeholders is the degree of consanguinity the prohibition should cover. Lawmakers are currently weighing whether to restrict relatives within the second or fourth degree of civil relationship from seeking office simultaneously.

Adiong described the initial hearing in Cavite as a “lively discussion” and noted that the committee is gathering diverse perspectives to strike a balance between constitutional mandates and the practicalities of local governance.

The House panel is scheduled to hold succeeding sessions in Cebu City for the Visayas region and Cagayan de Oro City for Mindanao before finalizing a draft for plenary debate.