POLITICAL dynasties continue to hold the majority of local elective positions, with preliminary results showing that about 54% of posts at the provincial, district, and municipal levels are held by individuals linked to political families, according to a study conducted by the research arm of the House of Representatives.
The Socioeconomic Research Bureau (SERB) of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) of the House of Representatives arrived at the findings based on an empirical assessment of around 1,900 pages of official Commission on Elections (Comelec) documents.
Using customized scripts to identify potential dynastic links among elected officials, an official was flagged as part of a political dynasty if his or her last name or middle name matched that of another elected official within the same province.
The 54% share translates to about 9,800 positions, with an estimated 4,200 potential dynastic families identified nationwide, according to the study.
The study also postulated that the passage of a law banning political dynasties would limit families to one candidate per election, potentially freeing up about 5,700 positions now held by political clans.
“Although there may be some differences based on how the anti-dynastic law is finalized, how dynastic families react, and challenges in enforcing the new law, it is expected that legislation against political dynasties will have a significant impact,” the statement said.
CPBRD Deputy Secretary General Dr. Romulo Emmanuel Miral V acknowledged that the methodology is not without error, noting that some elective officials flagged as part of a political dynasty may involve individuals who have similar surnames but are otherwise unrelated.
He nonetheless defended the approach as the most viable given time, data, and resource constraints. Miral added that the research was supplemented by case studies of large political families.
The CPBRD said it will release its initial empirical mapping of political dynasties to the public in the coming weeks.
