AFTER OLIGARCHY, CAN WE GO AFTER POLITICAL DYNASTIES?

You can’t talk about oligarchy in the Philippines without talking about political dynasties. They have long coexisted in ruthlessly dominating and shamelessly corrupting our state institutions.

And that’s the tragedy of this nation which, sadly, despite its promise, has yet to fulfill its greatest potential.

Remember when we ranked only second economically to Japan in the early Sixties, but pathetically tumbled and spun out of control, because of national and local leaders who were more into putting their interests first ahead of national concerns?

How many years have we wasted in boom-and-bust cycles, ironically perpetuated by a long line of unscrupulous officials brought to power by an electorate that has long been under the stranglehold of political families?

“Maybe, it is time for President Duterte to show his mettle anew and certify the anti-political dynasty bill as urgent.

That is why not a few quarters were elated that no less than President Duterte, with his strong political will and determination, vowed to fight oligarchy until the end of his term in 2022.

The President has been successful in making big business pay billions in taxes and bared the alleged anomalous water concession agreements between the government and the Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water of the Pangilinan and Ayala corporations, respectively.

He was particularly gloating with the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise of the Lopez family, saying he had dismantled an oligarchy without necessarily declaring martial law.

While most Filipinos are happy that this long-term menace has somehow been given attention by the national leadership, there seems to be a clamor for more. They want to ban political dynasties as well.

Since the President, in his pronouncements following the shutdown of ABS-CBN, bared his desire to end oligarchy once and for all, why not go a step further and put a halt to political dynasties as well?

Since oligarchy is usually characterized by the control of one family and transfer of power from one generation to the next, many, it seems, are interested in how the President would react to such suggestions.

You see, as wealth means power and political control, the political elites in the country perpetuate themselves by means of political dynasties.

The President could probably start by certifying a bill against political dynasty as urgent to show his determination to dismantle the many-headed monster that is the political dynasty.

Senate Bill 264, which was filed July last year, defining and prohibiting political dynasties, has hardly moved in Congress, which has the constitutional duty to enact a law defining and prohibiting the establishment of political dynasties in accordance with the intent of

Section 26, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution.

Three decades have passed and despite numerous attempts to enact such legislation, there is still no enabling law, however, prohibiting political dynasties in the country.

The existence of such dynasties, according to the bill’s author, Senator Francis Pangilinan, has undermined the checks and balance in government, weakened the competition in the political system, resulting in less access for alternative leaders to be part of the political arena, and perpetuated personality-based politics by prompting politicians to invest in their relatives.

Studies have also shown that dynasties are pervasive in the 10 poorest provinces in the country.

While several bills have been filed in the past — with the Senate even coming up with a committee report on the anti-dynasty bill in the 17th Congress — these were never really acted upon and advanced to become a law.

At least two anti-dynasty bills have been filed in the Senate under the 18th Congress, but sadly we still have to hear of any progress on the proposed measures.

Maybe, it is time for President Duterte to show his mettle anew and certify the anti-political dynasty bill as urgent.

It’s time to make a difference again. He has done it before. There’s no reason why he can’t this time.

“While most Filipinos are happy that this long-term menace has somehow been given attention by the national leadership… They want to ban political dynasties as well.