Manila City 3rd District Representative Joel Chua emphasized the need for the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty law, approved by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, to be practical and enforceable once enacted.
Chua cautioned that expanding the ban to cover too many relatives could make implementation difficult for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), joking that it might turn the poll body into a “Commission on Genealogy and Elections.”
“The rules must be clear enough for the Commission on Elections to enforce. Otherwise, we risk creating a system that is legally impressive on paper but difficult to apply in practice,” he said.
The measure approved by the House panel limits the prohibition to the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, similar to the version being deliberated in the Senate. Some groups, however, criticized the proposal as watered down, arguing the ban should extend up to the fourth civil degree.
Chua acknowledged the debate but underscored that any step toward enforcing the Constitution’s provision against political dynasties is significant.
“Any effort to finally implement the Constitution’s prohibition on political dynasties is a step in the right direction,” he said.
“However, the final law must genuinely address the concentration of political power in a few families and must not unintentionally allow dynasties to continue under another form.”
He noted that the 1987 Constitution mandates Congress to define and enforce the prohibition. The bill will still undergo amendments and debates during plenary deliberations in the House.
“The objective of an Anti-Dynasty Law should be simple: widen democratic participation, encourage new leaders to emerge, and ensure that public office remains a position of trust open to Filipinos with the competence and commitment to serve.”