House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III put premium on the importance of hearing the voice of the Visayas as the House of Representatives brought its nationwide consultations on the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act to Cebu City.
The Visayas leg of the regional hearings was held at the University of the Philippines Cebu, drawing stakeholders from across the region for discussions on the long-debated reform measure.
Dy said the House deliberately moved the discussions outside Metro Manila to ensure the measure reflects the sentiments of the entire country.
“Ngayon naman po ay lumalapit ang Kongreso sa inyo, mga mahal naming taga-Visayas, dahil ang inyong tinig at damdamin ay aming pinahahalagahan at isinasaalang-alang,” Dy said.
The Cebu consultation follows the first round of hearings in Carmona, Cavite, and is part of a three-island cluster approach that also includes a Mindanao leg in Cagayan de Oro City.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the House leadership and implemented by the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chaired by Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Dy, together with House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos, authored House Bill No. 6771, seeking to finally implement the 1987 Constitution’s policy against political dynasties by defining prohibited family relationships and setting limits on holding elective office. The bill is one of the 24 anti-political dynasty measures filed in the House.
Dy thanked Cebu stakeholders for welcoming the consultation, calling their participation vital to shaping a law that is both constitutionally sound and grounded in lived realities.
“Sa ngalan po ng House of Representatives, nagpapasalamat po kami na binuksan po ninyo ang inyong puso, isipan, at mga komunidad para sa mahalagang usapin ng Anti-Political Dynasty Bill,” he said.
He noted that lessons from the Cavite consultation demonstrated how deeply Filipinos care about the issue, with discussions marked by candor and thoughtful exchanges from differing perspectives.
According to Dy, “the discussions were honest, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in real experiences. We heard both sides. And rather than divide us, these differing views strengthened our understanding of the complexities of the issue.”
On the other hand, Adiong, who is leading the regional consultations, earlier emphasized that the hearings are meant to gather concrete public input on key policy questions, including the scope of family relationships to be covered and the extent of elective positions affected.
With Cebu hosting the Visayas leg, Dy stressed that reform will only gain legitimacy if it reflects the collective voice of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao alike.
“Ang Kapulungan ay handang makinig at kumilos para sa ikabubuti ng ating bansa,” Dy said, as the House continues its regional push to gather nationwide consensus on the long-debated reform measure.