President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. aims to see a measure prohibiting political dynasties passed into law before his term concludes, Malacañang announced Tuesday.
During an executive press briefing, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro reaffirmed that enacting anti-dynasty legislation remains a key priority for the Chief Executive.
“Alam nating lahat na nais ng Pangulo na sa kanya ring pamumuno magkaroon ng batas patungkol sa anti-dynasty bill or anti-political dynasty bill. So, priority po ‘yan ng Pangulo,” she said.
Castro emphasized that the administration’s push for the reform is not aimed at any specific local leaderships currently governing provinces like Bulacan or Pampanga.
Instead, she noted that the core intent of the proposed statute is to expand democratic space and allow qualified citizens broader access to leadership opportunities.
“Pero kung ikokonekta po sentro natin ito sa mga liderato ngayon, sa Pampanga, sa Bulacan, hindi na po ito necessary sa ngayon,” Castro said.
“Kailangan po na magkaroon tayo ng batas para mas magkaroon ng tsansa ang ibang mga kababayan natin na maging leader at maipakita naman din nila ang kanilang kagalingan,” she added.
Although Section 26, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution explicitly tasks Congress with prohibiting political dynasties to guarantee equal access to public service, no enabling statute has been enacted in the nearly four decades since the Charter’s ratification.
The Anti-Political Dynasty Act has been designated a priority legislative item for the 20th Congress.
If enacted, the law would impose structural restrictions on family political connections across all national and local elective posts, including the presidency, vice presidency, legislative seats, and provincial, city, and municipal offices.