Drilon revives bills against political dynasties, turncoatism

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has revived bills prohibiting political dynasties and strengthening the political party system by discouraging turncoatism, or jumping from one political party to another.

Senate Bill No. 11, or The Anti-Political Dynasty Act, seeks to prohibit spouses or relatives of an incumbent elective official seeking re-election to hold or run for any elective office in the same province in the same election.

“No less than the Constitution mandates the State to guarantee equal access to public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law,” Drilon said in the bill’s explanatory note, a copy of which was released to the media on Tuesday.

Dynasties and poverty

The senator noted how Congress has failed  in its duty to end political dynasties, which in turn results in poverty.

“Studies have clearly established the relation between poverty and political dynasties. Most of the poorest provinces and municipalities in the country are ruled by dynastic relationship,” he said.

Prohibitions

In the measure, no spouse, or person related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood, to an incumbent elective official seeking reelection shall be allowed to hold or run for any elective office in the same province in the same election.

If the incumbent elective official is holding a national position, relatives shall be disqualified from running only within the same province where the former is a registered voter.

Drilon said the bill also wants to ban any person within the prohibited civil degree of relationship to the incumbent to succeed to the position of the incumbent elective official.

Drilon said he remains hopeful that the measure will  get  Congress’ nod.

Turncoatism

Drilon likewise filed Senate Bill No. 12 which seeks to strengthen the political party system in the country to “achieve genuine political development and democratization.”

He noted that turncoatism should never be tolerated since it only distorts the concept of word of honor and dignity of a leader.”

“Our political party system is centered on personalities rather than ideology and political platform. There have been many attempts to reform the orientation of our political parties in the past so as to veer away from the concept of traditional politics,” Drilon said.

Previous attempts to reform the political party system were unsuccessful because of the “lack of legal institutional framework to govern the system of political parties,” he added.

Other bills

Aside from the said bills, Drilon also filed proposed measures on the amendments to the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act; institutionalization and strengthening of Public-Private Partnerships and creation of the Boracay Development Authority. (Editor: Gilbert S. Gaviola)