Drilon seeks anti-political dynasty law

MANILA, Philippines – If it’s possible for the Sangguniang Kabataan, why not for other elective positions?

Outgoing Senate President Franklin Drilon has called for the enactment of an anti-political dynasty law that Congress has been failing to pass for decades.

Last week, Drilon filed Senate Bill No. 230 aimed at leveling the playing field in the political arena by banning members of families from holding public positions one after the other or simultaneously to build a dynasty.

The Constitution prohibits political dynasties but an enabling law is required to implement this.

“No less than the Constitution mandates the state to guarantee equal access to public service,” Drilon said.

He noted that past efforts to pass an anti-dynasty bill had been unsuccessful mostly due to the lack of support from the members of the House of Representatives.

With the recent enactment of the SK Reform Act, Drilon expressed optimism that the passage of an anti-political dynasty bill would now be possible since the proposal also contained an anti-dynasty provision.

In a bid to curb corruption, the new SK Reform Law has an anti-political dynasty provision that bars relatives of elected or appointed officials up to the second level of consanguinity from pursuing SK posts. Lawmakers noted that this was the first provision of its kind to be approved in the country.

Apart from democratizing the election process, Drilon said the bill would also address the ill effects of political dynasty, particularly in the countryside.

“Research found dynastic concentration to have a significantly negative effect on the upliftment of local living standards, noting that lack of real political competition leads to flawed policies,” Drilon said, citing a study led by former socio-economic planning secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Under Drilon’s bill, no spouse or person related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood, to an incumbent elective official seeking reelection shall be allowed to hold or run for any elective office in the same province in the same election.

“The bill also bans any person within the prohibited civil degree of relationship to the incumbent to succeed to the position of the latter,” Drilon said.

Under the bill, it also a form of political dynasty when a person who is the spouse of an incumbent elective official or a relative within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of an incumbent elective official holds or runs for an elective office simultaneously with the incumbent elective official within the same city and/or province or occupies the same office immediately after the term of office of the incumbent elective official. 

In case the constituency of the incumbent elective official is national in character, the above relatives shall be disqualified from running only within the same province where the former is a registered voter.

In situations where none of the candidates is related to an incumbent elective official within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, but are related to one another within the said prohibited degree, they, including their spouses, shall be disqualified from holding or running for any local elective office within the same province in the same election.

Apart from Drilon, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has also filed an anti-political dynasty bill.