Drilon: Lawmakers should define anti-political dynasty in Cha-cha

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers should define the anti-political dynasty provision in the Philippine Constitution if a Charter change (Cha-cha) were to push through in 2024, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Thursday.

The former senator, who has long been calling for a structural reform to rid the country of oligarchy, noted that it is the Filipino people who have been asking for the provision.

“Talagang iyong anti-dynasty…iyan po ay dapat buuin. Hindi ko alam kung kasama iyan sa agenda (…) ngunit iyan po ay hinihingi ng taumbayan. Huwag nating alisin ang term limits at i-define natin iyong anti-dynasty provision,” he said in an interview over at Radyo 630.

(Really, that anti-dynasty… that needs to be established. I don’t know if that is included in the agenda (…) but that is what the people are asking for. Let’s not remove term limits and let’s define the anti-dynasty provision.)

Drilon explained that there is currently no implementing law in place to enforce measures preventing the occurrence of political dynasties.

This is why, the former senate president said, he suggests for the provision on anti-political dynasty be defined in the Philippine Constitution.

“Ang suggestion natin kapag nag-amiyenda tayo ng Saligang Batas, doon pa lang sa Saligang Batas liwanagin natin kung sino ba ang kasama doon sa anti-dynasty para hindi na kailangan ng batas, doon na mismo sa Saligang Batas natin gawin,” he stressed.

(Our suggestion is that when we amend the Constitution, let’s clarify in the Constitution itself who is included in the anti-dynasty provision so that there’s no need for a separate law; we’ll do it right in the Constitution.)

On Tuesday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said in his speech that Congress has passed two resolutions, which both call for a constitutional convention as a mode of amending the Constitution.

If the Congress were to revisit the subject of Cha-cha in 2024, it would be to amend the supposedly restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution, Romualdez noted.

READ: Romualdez mulling revisiting Cha-cha for economic provision amendments

The Congress’ renewed push for Cha-cha, however, was not received well in the Senate, with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III saying that whoever wants to amend the Constitution has a “lot of convincing to do.”