The passage and enactment of an Anti-Political Dynasty law has been one of the major priorities of the House of Representatives in accordance with the constitutional mandate of passing such a measure for equal opportunity for the public, a lawmaker said.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy said Thursday that a law that would reasonably and constitutionally address political dynasties was one of their urgent concerns, recalling how the Constitution required for its implementation.

“Thirty-nine years after the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Congress has a historic opportunity to give fuller legislative effect to a constitutional policy that has long awaited comprehensive implementation,” Dy said in a statement.

His remarks come after the Supreme Court publicly announced a resolution that ordered Congress to finally implement the measure, noting that its inability to do so could constitute a grave abuse of discretion.

The high court further instructed the legislature to ensure that such a law would be enacted “at the earliest opportunity” in order to abide by Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution.

“The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public services, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law,” the ruling reads.

Dy, for his part, mentioned that the lower house had already done its part when it came to measure as the House’s version of an Anti-Political Dynasty law was passed as early as 3 June.

The approved measure prohibits families up to the second degree of consanguinity to assume public office within the same area of jurisdiction while also imposing a restriction when it came to simultaneous or succeeding terms.

Second degree of civic consanguinity covers siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and grandparents.

Notably, the Senate’s version of the measure remains pending and is on second reading.

With critics of the measure claiming that it was seemingly a “watered-down” version of the law, Dy stressed that the implementation of such a measure also had to be “fair, definite, and principled.

Other lawmakers and legal luminaries have sought for an anti-dynasty measure that prohibited dynasties up to the fourth degree of consanguinity.

“[Anti-Political Dynasty Law] implementation requires a fair, definite, and principled legal framework that promotes equal access to opportunities for public service while preserving the fundamental role of the electorate in choosing its representatives,” he explained.

The lawmaker from Isabela further expressed that even with a restrictive law, it was also the role of Congress to ensure that public service was a job that remained open to many Filipinos.