SPEAKER Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III said Thursday the enactment of a reasonable and constitutional anti-political dynasty law is a congressional priority, with the House of Representatives having passed its version more than three months before the Supreme Court directed Congress to act on the 39-year-old constitutional mandate.
“Isang prayoridad ng Bagong Kongreso ang maisabatas ang isang makatwiran at konstitusyonal na Anti-Political Dynasty Law bilang bahagi ng tungkulin nitong bigyang-bisa ang mga patakaran at prinsipyong itinakda ng Konstitusyon at isulong ang mga repormang nagpapalawak ng pantay na pagkakataon, nagpapatibay ng demokratikong pakikilahok, at nagtataguyod ng mabuting pamamahala,” Dy said in a statement.
The House, under Dy’s leadership, approved House Bill No. 8389, or the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act, on third and final reading on June 3 by a vote of 267-20, with seven abstentions.
The measure was transmitted to the Senate on June 8. The Speaker and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos are its principal authors, along with 173 other House members who signed on as co-authors.
Under the House-approved bill, the prohibition would cover spouses and relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity in specified circumstances involving the simultaneous or successive holding of elective office. The Senate has also advanced its version—Senate Bill No. 1901—which is pending on second reading.
The legislative efforts seek to give effect to Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the state to guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties “as may be defined by law.”
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision dated Aug. 26 and announced Sept. 16, ruled that Congress has a mandatory constitutional duty to enact an anti-political dynasty law.
The High Court said the inability of Congress to enact an enabling law for 39 years constituted grave abuse of discretion. It directed the legislature to enact the law “at the earliest opportunity,” including defining political dynasties and determining the scope of the prohibition.
The Speaker said the ruling comes at a time when Congress has an opportunity to finally give fuller legislative effect to the constitutional policy.
“Thirty-nine years after the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Congress has a historic opportunity to give fuller legislative effect to a constitutional policy that has long awaited comprehensive implementation,” he said.
“Ang layunin ay makabuo ng batas na nagtataguyod ng pantay na pagkakataon sa serbisyong publiko, naglalayong maiwasan ang konsentrasyon ng kapangyarihang pampulitika sa iilang pamilya, at nagpapatibay sa pananagutan at integridad ng ating mga demokratikong institusyon.”
The House chief stressed that “the constitutional policy against political dynasties is not simply a matter of imposing restrictions on political families.”
“Its implementation requires a fair, definite, and principled legal framework that promotes equal access to opportunities for public service while preserving the fundamental role of the electorate in choosing its representatives,” he added.
“Sa huli, ang layunin ng batas ay tiyakin na ang serbisyo publiko ay mananatiling bukas sa mas maraming Pilipino, ang mga limitasyong ipapataw ay malinaw at makatwiran, at ang paggamit ng kapangyarihang pampulitika ay mananatiling nakabatay sa Konstitusyon, sa pananagutan sa bayan, at sa soberanong kalooban ng mamamayan.”
metrosundaily
