Congress urged to prioritize anti-political dynasty bill, party-list amendments
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on Congress to prioritize four key reform measures, including proposals for an Anti-Political Dynasty Act and the creation of an Independent People’s Commission that would act against corruption across government sectors.
Mr. Marcos pushed for the swift passage of the four measures, which also include amendments to the party-list system as well as a bill strengthening accountability on public finance, during yesterday’s meeting of Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at Malacañan Palace in Manila.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos had instructed the Senate and the House of Representatives to “take a closer look” at the four priority measures and ensure their passage “as soon as possible.”
Mr. Marcos, however, has yet to certify the four measures as urgent, which would have allowed the approval of the bills on their second and third reading on the same day, effectively waiving the Constitutional requirement of having three separate days for readings.
Proposed anti-dynasty bills seek to prohibit individuals from running for or holding public office if they have a relative up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity who is an incumbent official at the national or local level.
While the 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties, Congress has yet to pass an enabling law for its implementation.
Previous presidents have made similar calls but not at the LEDAC level. The late President Benigno Aquino III, in his sixth and final SONA, said there was “something inherently wrong in giving a corrupt family or individual the chance at an indefinite monopoly of public office.”
Former President Rodrigo Duterte, in a speech during an assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, said he was in favor of anti-political dynasty provisions, but acknowledged these would be difficult to pass.
On the other hand, the proposed Independent People’s Commission Act aims to expand the powers and transparency mechanisms of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to make it fully accountable, transparent, and empowered to act against corruption across government sectors, not only in infrastructure.
The proposed Party-List Reform Act aims to overhaul the system to ensure genuine representation of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors by introducing stronger safeguards and stricter screening of party-list groups and their nominees.
The proposed Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or CADENA Act seeks to enhance transparency in government spending, mandating the full disclosure of all government transaction documents through a secure digital public ledger system.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Mr. Marcos also wants Congress to consult key stakeholders to ensure that the four priority bills are comprehensive and well-crafted.
Citing the importance and urgency of the proposed measures, Recto said the invitation to participate in crafting the bills should be extended to “groups of all political persuasions.”
“The presidential request for congressional action on the four bills goes beyond their immediate passage, calling instead for wide consultation with all sectors so the best ideas can be incorporated into these reform measures,” Recto said.
“Broad consultations result in better laws. It is only by canvassing views and opinions from as many sources as possible that the nation is guaranteed a law that reflects its interests,” he added.
For his part, Senator Bam Aquino said the President’s push for the proposed CADENA Act and the party-list reform bill was “particularly fitting” to mark Anti-Corruption Day yesterday.
“This measure ensures that the party-list system truly serves the many, not the few, and empowers ordinary Filipinos to have a real say in their Congress. It is a step toward a more inclusive, accountable, and meaningful democracy,” Aquino said.
Senator Francis Pangilinan added: “Political power and public service must never be treated as a birthright. But without an enabling law, our democracy has been hijacked by dynasties.”
Senate President Vicente Sotto III pushed for a Senate counterpart to the IPC measure, positioning the body as a permanent investigative authority insulated from political interference and institutional capture.
“It is now time we take action. We demand accountability from those who took advantage of the flood control and other infrastructure budgets for their personal gain at the expense of the people’s suffering,” Sotto said.
But for House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, the measures must be certified as urgent to ensure their timely passage.
“If they are serious in prioritizing these measures, why not go full blast and certify these as urgent? We will not tire in calling on the President to certify these as urgent, and for our colleagues to swiftly pass these measures,” De Lima said.
“Time is of the essence. With this much corruption and widespread collusion in the theft of public funds, we can’t falter in passing laws to hold the corrupt accountable, recover stolen wealth, and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she added.
