Speaker vows to pass antidynasty measure
Speaker Faustino Dy III vowed over the weekend that the House of Representatives will pass a fair, just and implementable antipolitical dynasty law from the 24 antidynasty bills that have been filed in the chamber.
“We are serious about passing a fair, just and implementable antipolitical dynasty law in the 20th Congress,” he said in a video message to a forum at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City.
Dy said any final version of the proposed law must emerge from wide, inclusive and sincere consultations across the country.
“We are equally firm in our belief that any law we pass must be the product of wide, inclusive and sincere consultation—a law that is carefully crafted, thoroughly scrutinized and rooted on the true sentiments of Filipinos,” the speaker said.
The regional consultations are being conducted by the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, chaired by Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Dy said the regional consultations clarified what he called “the delicate balance lawmakers must strike between protecting the people’s right to choose their leaders and expanding opportunities for public service to a broader range of Filipinos.”
Not aimed at VP Sara
Dy and Adiong, both members of political dynasties, disputed notions that the pending antidynasty bills are meant to target specific political families, like that of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Adiong said the constitutional mandate against political dynasties was already in the Constitution decades before Duterte announced her candidacy. Most of the pending measures were also filed even before Duterte announced her intention to run for president.
“These discussions about electoral reform are a big thing, it would not revolve on any particular candidate. So, I don’t know why people are connecting it to [Duterte]. It’s so far off,” Adiong said.
Public sentiment
Calls to pass an antidynasty measure mounted after the speaker said in a speech last November—when Congress resumed session—that the chamber would focus on the said bills.
Dy acknowledged that his statement might have raised eyebrows, as his family has been considered a prominent dynasty in their home province of Isabela, but the measure is among the legislation that President Marcos asked of Congress.
The speaker said eight of the priority measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) have been approved by their respective main panels and are now pending comments from the committee on appropriations.
“These committee-level approvals show that the House is doing the hard work early under the leadership of Speaker Dy—building consensus, refining policy and making sure the measures we bring to the floor are ready,” said Ilocos Rep. Sandro Marcos.
“Our focus remains on bills that directly affect education, health, food security and social protection—areas where legislation translates into real impact for Filipino families.”
Among the bills are the modernization of the Bureau of Immigration; proposed National Land Use Act; measure creating an Independent People’s Commission; Presidential Merit Scholarship Program; amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act; amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act; amendments to the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and a proposal resetting the elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Marcos said these developments build on earlier legislative gains by the House, where 12 of the 52 Ledac priority measures have been approved on third and final reading. —WITH A REPORT FROM PNA
