LEGAZPI CITY-Vice President Leni Robredo said on Friday that she favored the passing of the anti-dynasty law before changing the form of government from presidential to federal.
“We should pass the anti-dynasty law first before we discuss federalism,” she said.
Robredo said she has always been an advocate for the anti-dynasty bill.
Federalism with no anti-dynasty law is fatal, Robredo said, because it only emboldens political families.
During the 16th Congress, she said she was one of the authors of the anti-dynasty bill. The proposed bill only reached the plenary and has not passed the second reading in the House of Congress.
She said the bill is a significant piece of legislation that would follow a provision in the 1987 Constitution which prohibits political dynasty as part of its general policies.
“More than 30 years has passed but there’s still no enabling law that Congress has enacted,” she said.
“I understand why this bill could not be approved because most of them belong to political clans,” she added.
She even cited that of the 80 governors in the country, 66 belong to political dynasties. This situation goes down to the levels of vice governors to Mayors.
She said although it is difficult for this law to be passed, she hoped to continue her advocacy in pushing for its passage.
She cited studies that show that it is proportional that in almost all areas where “fat dynasties” prevail, poverty incidence is also high, where the status quo prevents more room for changes in governance.