The House of Representatives has approved on second reading House Bill 8389, a landmark measure seeking to prohibit political dynasties in national and local elective offices, despite sparks flying during a tense plenary session on Wednesday.
The session saw a sharp dispute between House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chairperson Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District) and Representative Leandro Leviste (Batangas, 1st District) during the period of amendments.
Leviste proposed expanding the ban’s coverage to include party-list representatives and widening the definition of a political dynasty to include relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, instead of the current second degree.
Adiong rejected both amendments. When asked by Leviste to explain his opposition regarding the party-list inclusion, Adiong declined to elaborate.
”I don’t need to explain my objection,” Adiong replied.
Adiong previously explained during debates that the committee settled on the second degree of consanguinity to ensure the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) could easily assess and review candidate affiliations. He added that regulations on party lists should be dealt with separately under the Party-list System Reform Act.
The chamber ultimately rejected Leviste’s proposals through a viva voce vote, prompting a tense exchange on the floor.
”I would just like to manifest my disappointment that we are not passing a true anti-dynasty bill,” Leviste stated.
”Mr. Speaker, point of order, this is a period of amendment, we don’t accept it– we don’t accept manifestation,” Adiong quickly countered, cutting him off.
While Leviste’s proposals failed, other amendments were successfully carried into the bill, including the total exclusion of barangay captains and council members from the prohibition.
Additionally, the plenary approved an amendment by Representative Janette Garin (Iloilo, 1st District) establishing a mechanism to resolve conflicts when multiple relatives win in the same election.
”When two or more relatives are elected to positions with multiple seats within the same political unit, such as senators and members of the sanggunian, the candidate obtaining the highest number of votes shall assume office. Semicolon. Or B. When two or more relatives are elected to distinct positions within the same political unit, the candidate elected to the higher office shall assume the same,” Garin proposed.
The passage of the bill on second reading comes amid renewed public clamor for electoral reforms, including the launch of the “Dapat Isa Lang” movement, which seeks to ban dynasties through a People’s Initiative, and recent polling by WR Numero showing 44% of respondents disagreeing with the current anti-political dynasty measure.