A consolidated measure banning political dynasties is seen to breeze through the Senate, with 13 senators endorsing passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1765, which is to be known as the Anti-Political Dynasty Act of 2018 once enacted into law.
SB 1765 would ban spouses (legal and common law), siblings (full or half-blood), parents and children (legitimate, illegitimate and adopted) and the spouses of second-degree relatives vying to replace their relatives occupying elective positions.
Comprising a majority in the 23-member chamber, the 13 senators affixed their signatures signifying support for early enactment of SB 1765, which defined political dynasty as the “concentration, consolidation, and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.”
Among those who signed up as endorsers of SB 1765 were Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon and Sens. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Loren B. Legarda, Panfilo M. Lacson Jr., Grace Poe, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Nancy S. Binay, Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Ralph G. Recto, Leila M. de Lima, Sherwin T. Gatchalian and Francis N. Pangilinan.
The proposed law, embodied in Committee Report 367 submitted by the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, specified that any person with relationship with any incumbent elective official shall not be allowed to run for or hold public office “to immediately succeed or replace the said incumbent.”
It also covers other circumstances, including the following: if the incumbent is an elective barangay official, the spouse and the above relatives are prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the same barangay, as well as in the barangays in municipalities or cities within the same legislative district;
If the incumbent is an elective official of the municipality or city, legislative district or province, the spouse and above relatives are prohibited to run for or hold any elective office simultaneously with the incumbent within the same barangay, municipality, city, legislative district or province;
If the incumbent is a national elective official, the spouse and the above relatives are, likewise, prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the national or local level as barangay captain, mayor, governor or district representative in any part of the country; and
If the incumbent is a barangay captain/mayor/governor or district representative, the spouse and the above relatives are also prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the national level.
The bill further provides that persons not holding any public office shall also be prohibited from running in the same election if their election will result in a political-dynasty relationship.
Moreover, the bill empowers the Commission on Elections to deny the application for certificate of candidacy on any candidate found in a political dynasty relationship.