13 senators sign anti-dynasty bill
A MAJORITY of senators on Wednesday evening signed the bill banning political dynasties, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said on Thursday.
Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, had conducted public hearings to tackle bills banning political dynasties.
Senate Bill 1765 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act dynasty as the “concentration, consolidation, and/ or perpetuation of public
by persons related to one another within the second degree of con
“This covers spouses (legal and common-law), siblings ( full or half-blood), parents, and children (legitimate, illegitimate, and adopted) and the spouses of these second- degree relatives,” Pangilinan said.
Thirteen senators signed the bill. Aside from Pangilinan, the measure was signed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon as well as Senators Risa Hontiveros, Loren Legarda, Victor “JV” Ejercito, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th, Nancy Binay, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, detained Sen. Leila de Lima.
The bill states that any person with a political dynasty relationship with any incumbent elective following circumstances:
• immediate succession or replacement of the incumbent;
• if the incumbent is an elective
the above relatives are prohibited to run simultaneously for any position in the same barangay as well as in the barangay in municipalities or cities within the same legislative district;
• if the incumbent is an elective legislative district or province, the spouse and above relatives are prohibited to run for or hold any the incumbent within the same barangay, municipality, city, legislative district or province;
• if the incumbent is a national 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.
Persons who are not holding - hibited from running in the same election if their election will result in a political dynasty relationship.
Under the bill, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) may deny candidacy on any candidate found in a political dynasty relationship.
In a hearing on February 15, resource persons from the academe enumerated the reasons for the need to ban political dynasties: the Constitution bans political dynasties and Congress needs only to define it; political dynasties kill democracy, cause poverty and inequality and destroy fairness. Political dynasties don’t allow others to serve, people can’t exercise control over the elected and elections dominated by fat dynasties are abusive, not democratic or dictatorial.