A House leader yesterday said the committee-approved bill on political dynasties could lead to displacement of over 5,000 “dynastic” officials.
“The numbers speak for themselves—and they say the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill will change the landscape of Philippine politics and governance” said Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, chair of House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.
He said that to ensure the Committee’s version is grounded in solid evidence, the Committee collaborated closely with the Socioeconomic Research Bureau (SERB) under the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) of the House of Representatives to study the potential impact of a measure that would operationalize the constitutional directive to prohibit political dynasties.
To this end, Adiong said SERB analyzed official election data directly from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), covering provincial, district, and municipal positions. The preliminary findings of SERB show that 9,852 out of 17,983 local-level positions (54.8 percent) are occupied by potential dynasts belonging to approximately 4,239 potential dynastic families.
“The data clearly shows that the committee version—with the second-degree consanguinity/affinity limitation—will have a significant impact on political dynasties. Projections indicate that over 5,000 elective positions could be vacated by individuals from political dynasties once the measure takes effect,” said Adiong.
“The CPBRD is expected to release their full paper in the coming days, but the preliminary findings submitted to us already confirm the substantial reach and feasibility of this approach. We have emphasized this in our media briefings and public hearings: the 2nd-degree limit is both implementable and meaningful.”
This assessment is consistent with data recently shared by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP). The LMP surveyed municipal mayors from 1,493 municipalities and found that approximately 917 mayors (61 percent) currently serve in jurisdictions where they have immediate or extended family members with a history of elective office. The LMP further disclosed that their survey shows that only 39 percent come from non-dynastic backgrounds.
“Given the data we have, we can see that it is inaccurate to say that the committee version will not have an impact. The numbers say otherwise. The evidence proves that the second-degree provision strikes the right balance: it is stringent enough to open real opportunities for new leaders while remaining implementable.”
The House is expected to pass the bill in plenary session before Congress adjourns on March 21.
