They’re legalizing dynasties to plunder beyond 2028
Congress won’t enact any anti-political dynasty law. It’s only going through the motions of passing one. Signs are clear.
President Bongbong Marcos only pretends at political reforms. No follow-through.
Last Dec. 9 he press-released to Congress four urgent bills: Independent People’s Commission, Party-list System Reform, Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability and Anti-Dynasty. All for show.
BBM didn’t certify as urgent any of them. Congress took that to mean disinterest. His own Independent Commission for Infrastructure bowed out before investigating any Cabinet member linked to the P1.7-trillion flood works scandal. He let his cousin Rep. Martin Romualdez’s family use their party-list to skirt the three-term congressional limit. Despite the CADENA bill, BBM is mum on his admin’s misuse of P1.45 trillion in 2023-2025.
The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms killed a dozen genuine bills against dynasties. On Mar. 3 it reported out to the plenary only the one authored by Speaker Faustino Dy III and BBM’s son Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
Dy belongs to the biggest political dynasty: 15 family members sit in Congress and Isabela local positions. Sandro belongs to the richest. Government has confiscated P174-billion ill-gotten wealth of his grandparents Ferdinand Sr. and Imelda, and is pursuing P125 billion more. BBM, as Marcos estate administrator, evades P205-billion taxes.
Dy and Sandro’s bill legalizes dynasties. It limits only one relative up to the second degree of consanguinity to hold national position. But it defines as national only the presidency, VP and Senate. It allows one each in congressional districts and separate local jurisdictions – simultaneously and successively.
Minority Rep. Edgar Erice exemplifies Cebu for the bogus anti-dynasticism. Kinsmen can sit in each of Cebu’s seven congressional districts. Another can be governor or vice or provincial board member. More can be mayor, vice or councilor in each of the provinces’ nine cities. Plus seven more mayors or vice or councilor in any of 44 municipalities so long as only one per district. Not to forget barangay chairman or councilman.
Spouses, parents, offspring, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins can inherit positions. “Fat dynasties will become obese,” Erice says.
BBM didn’t restrain son Sandro. “Yet he knows what a dynasty is,” Erice recalls. BBM authored the Senate version and Erice the House’s when Congress enacted in 2015 the landmark anti-dynasty provision in Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Rep. Zia Adiong heads the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms. He is himself a dynast, with a brother sitting as governor, a nephew as vice governor and another brother as ex-congressman.
Eighty percent of 318 congressmen are dynasts, researchers say.
The Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation came out with a true anti-dynasty measure on Feb. 24. Thanks to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, one of only five non-dynastic senators.
Four sets of siblings occupy the chamber’s 24 seats; 11 others have offspring, siblings or parents in the House or local posts.
The Senate version limits clans to only one member in national and one in local post. Up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity. Mistresses included. No succession.
That’s no consolation for Erice and other anti-dynasts. They foresee deadlock at the bicameral conference committee. The House will insist on its fakery. The Senate won’t relent.
The House can protract the deadlock beyond January 2027. Comelec will have no more time to draft implementing rules and regulations. By October 2027 dynasts will be filing candidacies for Election 2028. Most of them will be the same P1.7-trillion flood works plunderers.
Dynasticism begets corruption, crushes checks and balances and negates accountability.
If the Senate accepts the House bogusness, the law will be questioned at the Supreme Court. Petitioners will cite the constitutional requirement, Article II, State Principles, Section 26: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
SC will take months to rule. Again, the January 2027 time limit will kick in.
To save the situation, election reformist Atty. Alex Lacson proposes People’s Initiative. Citizens themselves will amend the Constitution and define the prohibited dynasties.
But PI is a long shot. It requires the signature of 12 percent of 68.5 million registered voters, with at least three percent from each of 254 congressional districts. Erice cites four hurdles:
• Nationwide PI will need tens of thousands of volunteers to gather signatures and millions of pesos for food, transport, pen and paper.
• Dynasts will crush any PI in their locales.
• Signature verification will take time and again millions of pesos in Comelec funds.
• Dynasts can sabotage PI. They need only to get fake voters to sign fake names to pollute the effort.
The question arises: will the political elite give up power peacefully, or should it be wrested from them?
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