Anti-dynasty law needed for PH to become a 'real democracy'—lawmaker

MANILA — The Philippines should finally pass an anti-political dynasty bill for it to become a "real democracy," Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said on Wednesday, adding that one could be enacted in the next two years.

"For decades, power has been concentrated in the hands of so few political families, and it's about time, if we want... our country to be a real democracy, [we need] to pass the anti-political dynasty bill," Diokno told ANC.

Politicians belonging to dynasties argue that their constituents still have the power whether or not to vote for them, but critics say candidates running from the same clan leave people with fewer options.

The lawmaker's statement followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s urging of Congress on Tuesday to prioritize the passage of a bill that would ban political dynasties in the Philippines, as well as other measures that would help "institutionalize transparency and accountability."

Lawmakers have never come close to passing a measure prohibiting political dynasties in the last 38 years, despite the constitution requiring them to create one.

Barring dynasties from taking office has been an uphill battle for reform advocates because political families have been entrenched in the Philippines.

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But amid the flood control corruption scandal and people's clamor for change, passing an anti-political dynasty measure can be done, Diokno said.

"We cannot underestimate the power of people's expression of their opinion, and napakalakas ng ugong ng call for an anti-political dynasty bill, and all the moral and legal backing is there," he said.

"Corruption and political dynasties are ... intimately connected, and if we address one, we have to address the other." 

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CERTIFY AS URGENT 

Aside from the anti-political dynasty bill, Marcos also urged Congress to prioritize three other measures, namely the Party-list System Reform Act, the Citizens' Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act, and the Independent People's Commission Act.

Diokno said that among the four, legislators should give top priority to passing the law giving more teeth to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) — created by Marcos to probe flood control and other infrastructure corruption — amid reports of the body already winding down in a few months.

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While he welcomes the President's move to prioritize the four bills, Diokno noted that they were not certified as urgent, which would have allowed lawmakers to tackle them directly in the third and final reading.

"If the President, the administration, is truly serious about making these bills become laws immediately, then the President must certify them as urgent," Diokno said.

He added this would allow them to act on the bills "as quickly as possible," and that the bill empowering the ICI could be passed before their Christmas break.

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