Cebu hosts anti-dynasty bill public consultation

Local

LAWMAKERS brought to Cebu on Thursday, Feb. 19, the House of Representatives’ nationwide consultations on the proposed anti-political dynasty measure.

They seek public input on a reform that has remained unenacted nearly four decades after it was mandated by the 1987 Constitution.

The public consultation, held on February 19, was conducted by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms as part of its Visayas leg of hearings on at least 24 pending anti-dynasty bills.

Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Ziaur-Rahman “Zia” Alonto Adiong said Cebu was a key stop in the consultations aimed at widening public participation in the legislative process.

“This will be our Visayas thread, and Cebu is one of the most important areas in Central Visayas. Kaya nandito tayo to continue with our public consultation because we need to hear the conversation or position of our people so they can feel ownership over the process,” Adiong said in an interview.

The Cebu forum marked the second public hearing outside Congress, following an earlier consultation in Cavite. Another hearing is scheduled in Cagayan de Oro City.

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima said the consultations aim to capture grassroots perspectives after the committee had earlier heard from constitutional experts, former justices, and members of the academe in formal hearings at the House.

“We want to feel the pulse and know the insights, views, and ideas of the people,” de Lima said. “This time around, bumaba kami, ang committee, para naman boses ng taong bayan ang pwedeng marinig.”

She noted what she described as growing public demand for the measure’s passage.

“The anti-dynasty bill is almost 40 years [overdue] since the Constitution explicitly commanded its enactment,” de Lima said, adding that there is renewed momentum as House leaders have prioritized the proposal and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has included it among priority measures.

The broader question, she said, is what version of the bill will ultimately emerge.

“Anong klase ng anti-dynasty bill ang lalabas ultimately? Would it be the ideal political dynasty bill that would be in consonance with the very spirit and intent of the Constitution?” she said.

She cited ongoing debates over how political dynasties should be defined, whether the prohibition should extend up to the second or fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity.

Under Section 26, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, the State is mandated to “prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.” However, the provision is not self-executing and requires an enabling statute.

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. emphasized that lawmakers must carefully craft a definition that will withstand constitutional scrutiny.

“This aims to promote democratic competition,” Garbin said.

He noted that the measure seeks to limit the concentration of power “sa nagkakailang pamilya lamang” while ensuring that the final law is “real, makatotohanan, pangmatagalan and something that can withstand judicial scrutiny.”

Several lawmakers attended the Cebu consultation, including Rizal 2nd District Rep. Emigdio III P. Tanjuatco, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar R. Erice, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise M. Co, Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago, and Cebu City 1st District Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar.

Del Mar welcomed the forum in her district. She stressed that real consultation must come before any law passes.

“Before passing a law it’s always good for us… to consult with our constituents. Listen to you guys. Hear what you think, if you’re for it, if you’re against it, and why. That’s why we are here. We are your voice,” she said.

Del Mar also addressed questions about political families, and that at no point did more than one member of her family run in the same election cycle.

The House consultations come amid signals of support from Malacañang.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the ongoing public consultations on the anti-political dynasty proposal during the recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President is open to certifying the measure as urgent, subject to review of the final version approved by both chambers of Congress.

During the latest LEDAC meeting, Marcos approved 21 priority bills, including the anti-dynasty proposal, which remains pending before committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Lawmakers said consultations will continue in other regions as Congress works toward consolidating the various proposals into a single measure for plenary deliberations.(TGP)