The House will begin hearings on long-stalled anti-political dynasty bills in January after President Marcos ordered lawmakers to prioritize measures meant to restore public trust in government.
The committee on suffrage and electoral reforms said it expects initial deliberations by the third week of the month as it prepares to consolidate at least eleven versions of the proposed law.
Committee chair Zia Alonto Adiong said he is waiting for Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos to file their own versions of the bill. Adiong said “as far as the House is concerned, it’s not just a matter of support because there are currently 11 versions referred to my committee and normally such a bill would trigger debates but in this case we’re anticipating that the minority and majority share the same goal.”
Adiong said he sees no obstacle to the bill’s passage. “In terms of having it pass the hurdles, legislative mills of these two legislations, I don’t see any reason for there to be a problem. I think the House of Representatives can pass this bill.”
Manila Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr. said Marcos’ endorsement “sends a very strong signal that Malacañang is really pushing for this. It’s definitely going to be a huge influence on the House that the President supports this.” Dy urged the chamber last month to prioritize the measure, calling it long overdue.
Most of the bills seek to bar relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity of any incumbent official from running for or holding any elective position, national or local, unless the incumbent’s term ends within the same election year. Two versions filed by the Akbayan and Makabayan blocs push the restriction to the fourth degree.
Adiong said he will hold public consultations “because we need the public to know and understand what these measures are and what is acceptable to them.” He warned that the reform will alter the political landscape and restrict voter choices. “This bill would not only change the political landscape, but it would also limit the choices of people who elect their leaders, so it would definitely have a bearing, effect, in every election. So we need to go to the grassroots level.”
Beyond the anti-dynasty and party-list reform bills, Marcos also pressed Congress to fast-track measures reinforcing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, now probing anomalous public works projects, and the CADENA Act, which seeks to place the budget process on the blockchain.
