THIS early, Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla is starting his advocacy against political dynasties, with no less than members of his own family.
Padilla bared this Tuesday as he stressed anew that now is the time to pass a measure against political dynasties, more than 37 years after the 1987 Constitution mandated it.
“Kung kailangan kami mismo sa pamilya namin ako mismo aaminin ko sa inyo, ang isang kapatid ko pinipilit din na tumakbong senador. Ako na po ang nagsabi sa kanya parang awa nyo na tama na. Tama na (Even in my own family, I’ll tell you that one of my brethren was being egged to run for senator. I discouraged my relative from doing so),” he said at a hearing on the issue by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.
“Sa aking palagay, morally wrong, 117M tayo, Hindi pupuwedeng iilang pamilya ang pwede magsilbi sa bayan. Yan naman po ay opinion ko lang yan (I believe it is morally wrong that there are 117 million Filipinos, but only a few families can be elected to serve. That is my opinion),” he added.
He added he told his brethren that if an anti-dynasty measure becomes law, he will decide not to run for an elective post. “Sinabi ko sa kapatid ko pag ito pumasa ako mismo unang unang hindi tatakbo (I told my brethren that if an anti-dynasty law is passed, I will not run anymore),” he said.
Also, Padilla reiterated that there is no better time than now to discuss legislation for an enabling law against political dynasties.
“Hindi pupuwede na ilang taon na itong di pinaguusapan, 37 years na hindi ginawa ng batas patungkol dito. Di natin hinaharap. Di pupuwedeng may bagay na di natin hinaharap. Dapat harapin natin ito ngayon na (We cannot afford not to address this after 37 plus years. We must face the issue now),” he said.
Last Aug. 1, Padilla kickstarted the fight against political dynasties by filing Resolution of Both Houses No. 9, which proposes prohibitions against the candidacy or holding of office of persons in certain situations.
