Veto Sandro’s sham bill, anti-dynasts urge BBM

Business, professional and civic groups banded together this week against the fake anti-political dynasty bill of the House of Reps.

House Bill 8389, approved on third and final reading June 3, actually legalizes instead of prohibits dynasties. The illustrious associations (listed below) sought three actions against it:

(1) For the Senate to reject the House version during Congress’ special session this week;

(2) For President Bongbong Marcos to veto any final version that would only prolong dynastic hold over politics and the economy;

(3) For BBM and senators to support a People’s Initiative in which citizens themselves will draft and enact a true anti-dynasty law.

The groups denounced the House measure as fake because instead of prohibiting dynasties it would cement control by a few families over national and local elective and appointive positions.

They said: “The bill limits its prohibition only to relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, and only within the exact same political unit. This sounds like a restriction. It is not. We have all seen a single family hold the governorship, the congressional seat and the mayoralty of a province simultaneously – while a brother or son sits in the Senate.”

BBM’s son Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos co-authored the House bill with Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of Isabela’s 6th district.

Sandro in a press briefing Wednesday justified his sham bill: “Marami talagang political dynasties dito sa Lower House. I’d be an idiot if I said I wasn’t from one either. Let’s be honest with ourselves here.

“That was the limit as to the support that we could garner from the lower chamber. It became a consultative dialogue between the leadership and the party leaders to check how much support there is for that said bill. Should you make that bill stricter and more constrictive, nawawala ‘yung suporta ng lower House.”

Two hundred-seventy one of 318 congressmen, or 85 percent, approved the Sandro-Dy bill.

Those numbers show how entrenched dynasts are. In a 2020 study, Ateneo School of Government dean Ronald U. Mendoza said dynasts dominate 80 percent of Congress and 85 percent of local positions.

The stranglehold has worsened to 85 percent of Congress, La Salle political science ex-chairman Julio Teehankee told this writer in interviews on Sapol-dwIZ.

Dynasts have infiltrated even party-list representation that is supposedly for marginalized sectors. Twenty-five percent of party-list reps are dynasts, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported recently.

Sandro, as presidential son, comes from the mightiest dynasty established by conjugal dictator grandparents Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Imelda Romualdez Marcos, 1965-1986.

Sandro’s aunt Imee, BBM’s sister, is senator. His first cousin, Imee’s son Matthew Marcos Manotoc, is Ilocos Norte vice governor.

BBM’s first cousins Martin and Alfredo Romualdez are Leyte congressman and Tacloban city mayor. Martin’s wife Yedda and son Andrew Romualdez are also in Congress. Alfredo’s son Raymund Romualdez is Tacloban vice mayor.

BBM’s cousin-in-law Cecilia Araneta Marcos is Ilocos Norte governor. Nephew Eugenio Marcos Barba is 2nd district congressman.

Sandro’s bill applies only to Imee, estranged from brother BBM.

Dy hails from the country’s largest dynasty. After the May 2025 election, he listed 14 family members in Isabela province elective and appointive offices, and two in national executive positions.

Sons Francis Faustino and Faustino “Inno” V are Isabela vice governor and Echague town mayor. Daughters-in-law Alyssa Sheena Tan-Dy and Maria Katrina Jessica Gallegos-Dy are Santiago mayor and barangay San Fabian, Echague chairwoman. The latter also heads the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas.

Brother Ian Paul and nephew Faustino Michael III are 3rd and 5th district congressmen.

Two more brothers Manuel Faustino and Faustino IV are 5th district provincial board members. Fourth brother Victor is Cauayan city councilor and Liga ng mga Barangay president.

Sister-in-law Cecilia La Madrid-Dy sits in the Philippine Commission on Women and is employers’ rep in the Region II Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board. (A civic leader, she is also National Council of Women president and United Nations Association of the Philippines treasurer.)

Niece Czarah Jane Dy is Cauayan city administrator.

Five nephews: Caesar Dy Jr., Cauayan city mayor; Benjamin Dy III, Cauayan vice mayor; Benjamin Isabelo Dy, Cabatuan councilor; Victor Dy Jr., barangay San Fermin, Cauayan chairman and Bernard Faustino Dy, ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Organizations combating dynastism are: Management Association of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Philippine Institute of Arbitrators, Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines, Justice Reform Initiative, and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

Retired military and police generals and colonels are also promoting People’s Initiative for anti-dynasty law. Dozens have joined the signature drive headed by bemedaled Capt. Roberto Yap, Philippine Military Academy class 1982.

Among the first signatories: Generals Samuel Bagasin, Andy Andres, Wilfredo Bonilla, Manuel Mariano, Eliseo Rio, Wilfredo Franco, Alex Capina, Alexis Tamondong, Rolando Manalo, Rodrigo Diapana, Felicito Virgilio Trinidad, Jeffrey Delgado; Admirals Romeo Nebres, Jesus Millan; Commodore Vicente Buenaventura; Colonels Guillermo Cunanan, Michael Tome, Eliseo Posadas and Baguio city mayor Benjamin Magalong.

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