The Anti-Political Dynasty Bill is a proposed legislation in the Philippines regulating the eligibility of elected politicians to mitigate the prevalence of political families or "political dynasties" at a national level.
The 1987 Constitution provides a provision "banning political dynasties". However there is no enabling law and hence political families remain prominent in Philippines politics. [1] The members of the Constitutional Commission who framed the constitution included this provision due to political dominance of the Marcos family and local clans during the Marcos dictatorship under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.. [2]
Efforts to pass an Anti-Political Dynasty Bill has been in place since the 8th Congress which began in 1987. Seven administrations of presidents later, no anti-dynasty bill has yet to be passed. [3]
An has been proposed to prohibit family members of incumbent officials from seeking public office at least up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity. [4] But there has been proposals as extensive as up to the fourth degree. [5]
There was concerns on how the bill would apply if incumbent politicians encourages their mistresses or relatives of their unwed partners to run for office. [6]
The constitutional ban on political dynasties is usually proposed through dedicated bill in the Congress; both at the House of the Representatives and Senate level. There is at least one attempt to implement it as part of another proposed measure – Omnibus Election Code of 1993 or Senate Bill No. 1427 of Senator Raul Roco which had the relevant anti-dynasty proposal included as a rider. [1]
Nevertheless, the provision is partly implemented however with the Republic Act 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Law already barring candidates with up to second civil degree of consanguinity to an incumbent official from contesting for an election in the Sangguniang Kabataan or youth councils. The Bangsamoro Election Code also prohibits political dynasties in the Bangsamoro autonomous region. [4]
The prevalence of political families in the Congress is seen as an obstacle in the passage of an Anti-Politicla Dynasty Bill. [6] [3]
President Corazon Aquino has discouraged relatives to run in the 1988 Philippine local elections. She said she would not veto an anti-political dynasty bill. She raised however that it would be unfair that such bill would disqualify the candidacy of political rival Danding Cojuangco merely due to her within the fourth degree of consanguinity. [7]
President Rodrigo Duterte, who maintains his own political family has supported a ban on political dynasty but is skeptical if a anti-dynasty law will get passed in Congress. [8] He claims the Duterte family was "forced" to govern Davao City saying that political dynasties flourish because the public desires so. [9]