(UPDATE) THE Senate on Wednesday held its first hearing on the proposed anti-political dynasty bill, a long-delayed measure mandated by the Constitution that seeks to prohibit relatives from simultaneously running for or holding public office.
During the opening of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation hearing, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, one of the bill’s authors, underscored that public office should not be treated as a family entitlement, despite his own family’s extensive involvement in politics.
“I am fully aware of the sensitivity surrounding this proposed measure,” Tulfo said. “I come from a family that has participated in public service across different branches of government. I do not deny the fact, nor do I shy away from it.” The Tulfo family has produced several elected officials over the years, including members of the House of Representatives and two incumbent senators, placing it frequently at the center of debates on political dynasties.
Tulfo said, however, that the proposed law is not intended to single out families but to strengthen democratic institutions and expand access to public service.
“Public office is not a family inheritance,” he said. “An anti-political dynasty law intends to level the playing field and ensure leadership is based on merit, competence and genuine service rather than name or lineage.”
Unfulfilled mandate
The 1987 Constitution mandates the state to prohibit political dynasties “as may be defined by law,” but more than three decades after the Charter was passed, Congress has yet to pass an enabling statute. Similar bills have repeatedly stalled, often amid resistance from lawmakers with relatives in elective posts.
Supporters argue that political dynasties concentrate power, weaken accountability and restrict opportunities for new leaders, particularly at the local level. Opponents have raised concerns over voters’ freedom of choice and the scope of the proposed definitions.
Tulfo acknowledged these concerns, urging lawmakers to focus on the long-term impact of the measure.
“This discussion should not be about who we are related to, but about the kind of political system we want to leave to future generations,” he said, adding that he and his family would comply should the bill be enacted. “No individual, no family, no institution should be above the law.”
Broad Senate support
Committee chairman Sen. Risa Hontiveros renewed her call for the immediate passage of the bill, saying Congress should stop “waiting and dilly-dallying” on a reform mandated by the Constitution decades ago.
Hontiveros cited studies linking political dynasties to weakened checks and balances, worsening poverty and rising political violence.
Hontiveros said the proposed anti-political dynasty law is not against democracy and the rights of voters but designed to give ordinary citizens a fair chance to enter public service.
“This bill is not about punishing families or questioning the motives of those who run for office,” Hontiveros said.
“It is about addressing structural advantages that make it harder for ordinary citizens, reform-minded leaders and new voices, young voices, to enter public service,” she said.
The senator said for decades, Congress did not act on such a proposal “not because the problem disappeared, but because it was uncomfortable, politically costly and complicated.” Hontiveros said the bill is long overdue, noting that the prohibition of political dynasties has been expressly mandated by the 1987 Constitution.
“Nearly 40 years is a long time — too long. This decades-old duty and obligation of Congress should no longer be ignored or delayed,” Hontiveros said.
She said the public hearing showed that “the enactment of an Anti-Dynasty Law is not only a constitutional, civic and legal duty. “It is an ethical imperative.” “The challenge is not to pass the loudest, or most dramatic version of this bill. The challenge is to find the best version. The version that is workable on the ground,” Hontiveros said.
She said major national issues, including multibillion-peso flood control scams, persistent poverty and election-related violence, had been fueled and exacerbated by entrenched political dynasties.
Hontiveros identified four critical issues that need to be addressed in the bill: the degree, scope, timing and manner of enforcement of the proposed prohibitions.
She said the country needs a practical and consensus-driven Kontra Dinastiya Law that fulfills the constitutional mandate, addresses stakeholder concerns, promotes the welfare of voters, and is ready for implementation on the ground.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan also pointed to public support for the measure, citing a Pulse Asia survey conducted in December showing that more than half of Filipinos believe an Anti-Political Dynasty Law could help address systemic corruption.
Even Sen. JV Ejercito, who acknowledged benefiting from a political dynasty, expressed support for the bill, saying it would open opportunities for others to run for office and win elections.
The committee is expected to continue deliberations on the measure in the coming weeks.