Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday linked the persistence of political dynasties to recurring corruption scandals, including the alleged flood control fund scam now under Senate investigation.
Hontiveros said dynasties do not only dominate politics but also extend their reach into agriculture, mining, real estate, and lucrative government contracts.
“Some say political dynasties are acceptable as long as officials serve well. The question is: are they really?” the senator said during a Senate hearing on electoral reforms.
Hontiveros pointed to the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on ghost flood control projects as a reminder of how entrenched power could foster misuse of funds.
She recalled that the 1987 Constitution explicitly ordered the state to prohibit political dynasties by law, yet Congress has not passed any enabling measure in nearly four decades.
The senator then cited research by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism showing that 113 of the country’s 149 cities are controlled by political clans.
“Many studies have reported that as dynasties spread, the quality of governance and public service declines,” Hontiveros lamented.
The lawmaker noted studies by the Ateneo School of Government that have already documented “fat dynasties,” with two or three relatives serving simultaneously, and “obese dynasties,” where as many as five family members occupy posts at once.
She emphasized that defining dynasties legally is necessary to break the cycle of elite capture of public resources, adding that procurement-related corruption is most common in areas where political dynasties are strongest, a trend supported by PCIJ research.
For Hontiveros, this makes the link between dynasties and the flood control controversy even more urgent.
“We must fulfill the mandate of the Constitution. We must define it. We must put an end to the endless debate,” she said.
