Anti-Political Dynasty bill to be filed at Senate

SENATOR Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla is set to file this coming week an anti-political dynasty bill, amid mounting calls for an enabling law to implement the Constitution’s provisions against such dynasties.

Padilla said this is in response to petitions and other pleadings asking the Supreme Court to compel Congress to pass laws related to political dynasties.

“Tulad ng sinabi ko sa pagdinig ng Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes noong Hunyo, ako ay naniniwala sa 1987 Constitution, nguni’t nabigo tayong magpasa ng enabling law para rito (As I said in the hearing of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes last June, I believe in the 1987 Constitution. But we must pass an enabling law for its anti-dynasty provision),” he said.

“Hindi pa huli para silipin natin kung saan nagkulang ang ating henerasyon (It is not too late for us to find where our generation went wrong in this regard),” he added.

He said that after filing the bill, he plans to have the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, which he chairs, to hold hearings on the matter.

During the June 25 hearing, Ricardo Penson, chairman of Consumer Protection Advocacy Group, Inc. (CPAG), noted that as early as in the 1990s, 60 percent of Congress were from political dynasties. Now, he said this has gone to as high as 92 percent.

He said this would render futile a constitutional convention “if 92 percent will be running as delegates” to the convention.

For his part, Christian Monsod – one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution – urged Congress to prioritize the passage of an anti-dynasty law instead of moves to amend the Charter. He cited the worsening effects of entrenched political dynasties.

Monsod was quoted in reports as saying that real change cannot happen “until we strike at the roots” of the system.