Anti-Dynasty Bill Clears House: What It Actually Changes
After nearly four decades of waiting, the House of Representatives has finally passed a measure against political dynasties. House Bill 8389, the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, sailed through on third and final reading Wednesday, marking the first time Congress has approved such a bill since the 1987 Constitution took effect.
The bill consolidates 17 earlier proposals into one, aiming to stop relatives from holding public office in the same district. But as many kapamilya across the archipelago know, the definition of family in Filipino culture runs deep, and the question now is whether this law truly cuts to the heart of the problem.
What the Bill Covers
The proposed law bars relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from holding office at the same time within the same level of government. That means spouses, children, siblings, and grandchildren are covered. It also includes the parents, siblings, and grandparents of an official's spouse.
The definition of a political dynasty relationship covers these relatives regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, full-blood or half-blood. However, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews are not barred from holding positions simultaneously.
UP Department of Political Science Professor Jean Encinas-Franco pointed out that the restrictions fall short of a genuine ban.
Kadalasan, sa mga Pilipino, 'pag sinabing pamilya, although meron tayong tinatawag na immediate family, itinuturing din natin na kapamilya 'yung mga pinsan at tiyuhin natin 'no? So hindi mo rin talaga masasabing malawakang ipinagbabawal nitong kapapasang panukala sa House of Representatives 'yung political dynasty kung hanggang dito lang ang kanilang panuntunan.
In our barangays and provinces, where utang na loob and family ties shape politics, cousins and uncles often hold real influence. Excluding them from the ban leaves a wide door open.
Positions Affected
Section 5 of the bill bars members of a political dynasty relationship from concurrently holding these positions:
- National Level: President, Vice-President, and Senator
- House of Representatives: Representative within the same legislative district
- Provincial Level: Governor, Vice-Governor, and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
- City/Municipal Level: Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan
Once enacted, spouses, siblings, parents and children, or grandparents and grandchildren cannot serve as senators at the same time. Relatives are also barred from serving concurrent terms as governor, vice governor, mayor, vice mayor, and councilors.
The Gaps in the Law
Here is where the bill shows its limits. Relatives can still run for office as long as the positions sit at different levels of government. A parent could serve as senator while their child sits as congressman, their sibling serves as governor, and their spouse holds a mayoral post.
At the local level, the prohibition only applies within the same province, city, municipality, or legislative district. So a councilor in one municipality and a mayor in another from the same family can still serve at the same time.
There is another wrinkle. Two siblings can simultaneously run for Congress, one as a district representative and the other as a party-list representative.
Perhaps the most significant loophole is that the law only disallows concurrent positions. A family can still rotate offices across consecutive terms, a practice deeply familiar in provincial politics across the country.
Kapag ang sunod-sunod ay pwede pa rin, ang ibig sabihin maaaring sa 30 taon, tatlong dekada, apat na dekada, may iisang pamilya na naghahari sa isang probinsya. Kumbaga hindi natin mareresolba 'yung problema natin sa dinastiya.
For rural communities where a single surname has dominated the capitol for generations, this bill offers little relief.
A Divided House
The bill passed with a vote of 267-20-7, a strong show of support. But the debate within the chamber revealed sharp disagreements.
Akbayan Partylist Representative Chel Diokno, one of the 20 who voted against the bill, called it pro-dynasty.
Thirty-eight years of waiting, only to be given a piece of legislation that is more concerned with perpetuating political dynasties than ending them. If one family can hold positions across multiple levels of government, that is still concentration of power.
Navotas City Representative Toby Tiangco, who pushed for the bill, took a pragmatic view.
Kapag pinatay natin ang panukalang ito dahil sa hindi tayo kuntento sa tindi ng kabuuran nito, wala ni isa mang mababawas na miyembro ng political dynasty.
Professor Encinas-Franco warned that settling for a weak law could make future reforms harder.
Kapag ang rason ay mas mabuti 'yung meron na kaysa wala, ang takot ko diyan baka pagdating ng araw kapag meron nang mga legislators na gustong amyendahan ito, baka ang katuwiran naman ng iba, E meron na e, bakit mo pa gustong amyendahan?
She added that the bill's narrow scope shows legislators still struggle to turn away from the advantages political dynasties provide them.
Senate: Where Siblings Sit
The bill now heads to the Senate, where four pairs of siblings currently serve as legislators:
- Senators Camille and Mark Villar
- Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano
- Senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo
- Senators Jinggoy and JV Ejercito
Nearly 40 years after the 1987 Constitution mandated that political dynasties be prohibited as may be defined by law, the Philippines may finally see its first anti-dynalty statute. Whether it serves the interest of ordinary Filipinos or merely satisfies the letter of reform while preserving the old order remains the real question.
For now, the bill is a step, however modest, toward fulfilling a constitutional promise long deferred. Whether it becomes a foundation for stronger reform or a convenient ceiling is up to those who will craft the Senate version and, ultimately, the Filipino people who will live under its terms.