Anti-Dynasty Bill Clears Panel, but Ban Narrowed to Second Degree

A long-delayed measure seeking to curb political dynasties has advanced at the House of Representatives, though its final form at the committee level has drawn criticism for being less stringent than some proposals originally filed.

On Tuesday, March 3, the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms approved an unnumbered substitute bill consolidating several anti-political dynasty measures. The motion to adopt the consolidated version passed with 22 votes in favor and four against.

However, instead of prohibiting political dynasties up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity as originally proposed in some bills, the substitute measure limits the ban to relatives within the second degree.

This means the prohibition would apply primarily to spouses, parents, children, and siblings holding elective office simultaneously within the same constituency or political unit.

Some minority lawmakers raised concerns over the changes. The three-member Makabayan bloc, which had proposed a broader ban covering both simultaneous and successive terms up to the fourth degree, argued that the substitute version merely regulates political dynasties rather than prohibits them as mandated by the Constitution.

"For nearly four decades Congress has violated the Constitution through inaction. Now it is worse — they want to violate it through a law that pretends to comply," the bloc said in a statement.

House leaders, however, defended the revised scope.

Committee chair Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said that more than 60 percent of the filed bills proposed a second-degree limit, which became the basis for the substitute measure.

"Since the majority of the versions opted for 2nd degree, that is what we have obtained as part of our working and substitute bill," Adiong said.

Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores added that the consolidated bill reflects public consultations and the content of over two dozen submissions.

Under the approved version, relatives within the second degree would be barred from holding elective positions simultaneously in the same political unit. It also prohibits such relatives from occupying national elective posts at the same time.

Candidates would be required to submit a sworn declaration to the Commission on Elections affirming that they are not establishing a political dynasty at the time of filing their candidacy. If a prohibited relationship arises, candidates must report it within five days.

If relatives are elected to conflicting posts within the same area, they would be given 48 hours to decide who will assume office. Failing agreement, the Comelec would conduct a drawing of lots.

Supporters of the measure say it represents progress in addressing political concentration of power, noting that no enabling law has been passed since the Constitution mandated Congress to prohibit political dynasties.

With committee approval secured, the bill now moves to the plenary for second reading, where lawmakers may still introduce amendments.