The members of the Akbayan Reform Bloc filed a comprehensive “Anti-Political Dynasty Bill” on Wednesday, November 12.
In a social media post, the Akbayan Party-list said that House Bill 5905 was filed by representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene "Kaka" Bag-ao. The bill was filed to end the monopoly of power held by a few families in the country.
According to Bag-ao, it seeks to implement Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which directs the State to “guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
“Ordinary Filipinos shouldn’t have to fight political dynasties just to serve their communities. They're not the real dragons that need slaying,” Bag-ao, who is known as a “dragon slayer” for defeating four members of the local dynasty in her province, said.
“For me, the real dragons are poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment. This bill ensures that capable leaders from communities can tackle those challenges without being blocked by inherited power,” she added.
Bag-ao cited the Ateneo Policy Center, stating that dynasties have increased from 19% of all elected positions in 1988 to 29% in 2017. By 2019, she said that families holding multiple simultaneous elected offices continue to grow, reflecting the expansion of power from across the local and national levels.
Moreover, she said that a 2015 Philippine Institute for Development Studies report found that dynasties concentrated in the poorest provinces, “often reinforcing weak institutions, persistent poverty, and limited economic opportunities.”
Through the said bill, lawmakers seek to broaden leadership, open democratic spaces, and give reform-oriented leaders a fair chance to serve. Bag-ao emphasized that it is also about giving communities more voices and more choices.
“Our Constitution is a mandate that must be upheld,” Diokno said. "Sadly, political dynasties have grown in defiance of that mandate for decades. We should finally put a stop to this by passing this measure so we can end corruption and the rule of the few, giving others the opportunity to serve our countrymen.”
For Cendaña, the passage of the Anti-Political Dynasty Law should be comprehensive.
“Dapat walang sinasanto at walang lusot. Political dynasties not only monopolize political power and economic opportunity in the hands of a few, they are also opportunities for corruption,” the lawmaker said.
“Parang kartel sa negosyo, pag sinosolo ng iilang pamilya ang poder, oportunidad ito na magkamal ng pera imbes na maglingkod sa bayan. Kung ang mayor ay kurakot paano nga naman siya babantayan ng vice mayor at mga konsehal kung sila yung asawa, anak, o pinsan niya?" Cendaña added.
Meanwhile, Ismula said that public office is meant for service, not family inheritance.
“Leadership should go to those who step up for the many, not those who simply protect power for the few. In Mindanao, provinces controlled by political dynasties suffer from decades of inequality and injustice. If we end the rule of dynasties, we can unlock development in Mindanao,” she said.
“At stake is the promise of democratic equality,” the Akbayan Reform Bloc said. “We cannot call ourselves a democracy if power keeps circulating among the same families. It’s time to widen the door so leadership truly comes from the people.”
