Anti-political dynasty bill set for House debate

The long-awaited anti-political dynasty bill is set for plenary debate in two weeks, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chairman Zia Alonto Adiong said Wednesday.

Adiong of Lanao del Sur’s 1st District said his panel will adopt the substitute bill next week, after consolidating 24 pending measures on the issue, before forwarding it to the full House of Representatives for debate.

“There’s no question about the anti-political dynasty bill because it’s mandated in the Constitution,” Adiong said.

The panel recently wrapped up a two-week public consultation in Cavite, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City, gathering input from thousands of registered voters.

Of the two dozen bills referred to his panel, 16 or 17 propose a civil prohibition up to the second degree of consanguinity and affinity, while the rest call for a stricter fourth-degree ban. Adiong noted that there is precedent for a second-degree restriction, citing the Sangguniang Kabataan law and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao electoral code.

“If we follow democratic rules by the numbers, the second-degree civil relationship prohibition clearly has more backers,” he said.

While the Constitution bans political dynasties, Congress has yet to pass an implementing law after 40 years, which has allowed members of the same clans to continue holding elective posts.