MANILA, Philippines—For the first time, a bill that bans political dynasties took one step forward, gaining approval at the committee level in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
A day after the Supreme Court declared congressional pork barrel funds unconstitutional, the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms approved the antidynasty measure with no objections and to applause from observers. Committee members, however, were also unanimous in their view that they would have to work harder to get it past a plenary still dominated by members of political families.
The bill prohibits incumbent officials’ spouses or relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity—legitimate or illegitimate—from holding or running for any local or national elective office in the same election. In case no one among the relatives voluntarily withdraws from the race, the Commission on Elections should hold a raffle to determine which of them could run.
The bill also states that no person within the prohibited civil degree of relationship to the incumbent shall immediately succeed to the position of the latter.
These prohibitions do not apply to barangay (village) officials.
ACT Teachers party list Rep. Antonio Tinio, who headed the group that consolidated the different versions of the bill, said it chose to prohibit only those up to the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, instead of up to the fourth degree as some had proposed. The later would cover too wide a network of family relations, he said.
‘Eternal repose’
Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez said this was the first time that such a bill has seen any progress at all, noting that in the many years he had served in Congress, similar bills had always been filed but remained in “eternal repose” at the committee level.
Committee chair Rep. Fredenil Castro said a battle had been won Wednesday but “it’s still a long way before they win the war.”
The bill has to be approved by the House plenary on third and final reading, then the Senate would have to pass a similar measure, before it could become a law.
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said the approval of the bill would complement reforms brought about by the Supreme Court’s abolition of Congress’ pork barrel or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
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