MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is leaving it to the “good conscience” of the country’s lawmakers to pass a measure banning political dynasties in the Philippines.
“We will leave it to the members of Congress, to their good conscience, to whatever they think is good for this country,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said when asked if the Palace would push for an antipolitical dynasty bill.
The public can either choose or reject old political families depending on whether they are still “fruitful or beneficial” to them, Panelo added.
Not all dynasties are bad
The Palace official made the remarks amid the defeat of some established political families in Monday’s midterm elections, and the victory of President Rodrigo Duterte’s children in the local elections in Davao City.
The Constitution presently prohibits political dynasties, but a lack of an enabling law has prevented it from being fully implemented.
Panelo noted that President Duterte himself believed that not all political dynasties are bad, and that he would rather let the people decide who would lead them.
Estradas
“[Mr. Duterte has] said before that Filipinos will be the ones to decide. There are good dynasties and there are bad dynasties,” he said.
Among those who lost badly in the midterm polls were the Estradas, with the defeat of incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada in the mayoral race in Manila and the failure of his children Jinggoy and JV Ejercito to break into the senatorial race’s Magic 12.
The Estradas also lost in San Juan City, their bailiwick, with the victory of their rival Francis Zamora.
“Local elections have different dynamics. The people are the ones who know the dynasties themselves. If their leadership is OK, then they will vote for them again,” Panelo said.