A statement of some framers
of the 1987 Constitution
AS framers of the 1987 Constitution, we relied on the bedrock principle of restoring power to the people. The provision that “the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law” (Section 26, Article II Declaration of Principles and State Policies) exemplifies this spirit that animated the drafting of our basic Charter.
By adding the clause “as may be defined by law,” Congress is mandated to promulgate the enabling legislation embodying an anti-political dynasty law. However, Congress, composed mainly of related families and extended clans, has evaded its mandated duty and thus ensured that the provision prohibiting political dynasties would remain a distant dream.
Nearly four decades have passed, and we have witnessed the proliferation of entrenched political clans that have become local fiefdoms from Northern, Central, and Southern Luzon, Bicol, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Power and wealth are concentrated and consolidated in the hands of members of the same families, eroding accountability, enabling corrupt practices, perpetuating the cycle of patronage politics and the cult of personalities. Moreover, this monopoly of economic and political power has become a principal reason for poor governance and an undeniable sense of entitlement among those who pretend or claim to lead our people.
As another electoral season approaches, we again see the proliferation of families bent on perpetuating themselves in power. As our experience and countless scientific studies have shown, the concentration of power in the hands of a few erodes the basic principle of checks and balances, leading to the deterioration of the practice of politics in our country.
It is high time to level the playing field and “equalize the opportunity for public service” mandated by the 1987 Constitution. We need to enact legislation that will realize the aspiration of citizens who have struggled in the past and the present to restore power to the people in law and in reality.
We support the Senate Bill 2730 (Anti-Political Dynasty Law) now submitted for consideration to our legislators.
Felicitas S. Aquino-Arroyo; Adolfo S. Azcuna; Teodoro Bacani Jr.; Florangel Rosario Braid; Hilario G. Davide Jr.; Edmundo G. Garcia; Christian S. Monsod; Ricardo J. Romulo; Rene V. Sarmiento; Bernardo M. Villegas.
